Source: Xinhua news agency, Beijing, in English 0732 gmt 22 Dec 95..

Text of report by Xinhua news agency..

Changsha, 22nd December: Hunan Province in central China will set up an agricultural technology promotion centre in the Shannan Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region, to help farmers there learn farming technologies...

This was announced at a press conference held here Tuesday [19thDecember] by Qiangba Punco, the party head of the prefecture...

Shannan Prefecture is a partner of Hunan in the overall arrangementof the Chinese government for advanced regions to help Tibet develop its economy...

Shannan is one of the most fertile places in Tibet, with long hours of sunshine, a long growing period and little pollution. However, the crop production there has been low due to backward farming techniques, Qiangba Punco said. The centre is expected to change this situation by introducing new farming technologies to Tibetan farmers...

As the Tibetans do not have a tradition of growing vegetables or raising pigs, pork and vegetables have to be brought in from the neighbouring Sichuan Province. The centre will also spread advanced vegetable-growing and pig-raising techniques among Tibetan farmers in an effort to build Shannan into Tibet's vegetable and pork supply base...