The Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (HAAFS) – 河北省农林科学院 was founded in 1958 and is a comprehensive agricultural research institution directly under the Hebei Provincial People’s Government. The academy primarily focuses on breeding crop varieties such as grain, cotton, oilseeds, vegetables, and fruits, as well as applying high-quality, high-yield, and high-efficiency cultivation technologies. Its research also includes applied basic studies on stress-resistant physiology, biotechnology, and high-tech agricultural innovations.
HAAFS operates 12 specialized research institutes, including four national key laboratories and eight scientific observation and experimental stations under the Ministry of Agriculture. It also houses key centers such as the National Millet Improvement Center, the State Pear Improvement Center, and the Hebei Branches of the National Apple, Cotton, Sorghum, and Soybean Improvement Centers. Other facilities include the National Wheat Improvement Center’s Hebei Branch, the National Garden of Horticultural Crop Germplasm Resources in the Bohai Rim Region, and the National Quality Grain Industry Project. The Hebei Maize Regional Technological Innovation Center, along with 11 provincial innovation platforms and 17 comprehensive test stations and experimental bases, further enhances its research capabilities.
The academy employs 841 staff members, including 501 senior technical personnel, 129 with doctoral degrees, and 312 with master’s degrees. HAAFS specializes in the high-quality breeding and cultivation of wheat, cotton, soybean, and peanuts, as well as in fruit and vegetable breeding, efficient water use in farmland, green plant protection technologies, and fruit storage physiology research.
The academy manages 28 professional demonstration bases and 321 science and technology demonstration sites. It has established the “Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Alliance”, collaborating with scientific research institutes, universities, and agricultural enterprises in these regions. HAAFS also maintains cooperative relationships with more than 30 countries in agricultural science and technology, has undertaken over 50 international cooperation projects, and hosted more than 10 large-scale international conferences.
More information (in Chinese): http://www.hebnky.com.
