From November 15 to 17, 2024, the Member Representative Assembly of the Irrigation and Drainage Machinery Branch of the China Agricultural Machinery Industry Association and the Symposium on High-Quality Development of Irrigation and Drainage Equipment were successfully held in Wenling, Zhejiang Province. More than 200 representatives from companies involved in the design, manufacturing, and operation of water pumps, irrigation equipment, smart irrigation systems, as well as component manufacturers, research institutions, public entities, and universities attended the conference. They engaged in in-depth discussions on promoting innovation in the irrigation and drainage machinery industry and empowering new productivity. The event was co-hosted by the China Agricultural Machinery Industry Association and Jiangsu University, and organized by LEO Group Pump Industry Co., Ltd. and the Irrigation and Drainage Machinery Branch. Key attendees included Zhao Yanshui, Executive Vice President of the China Agricultural Machinery Industry Association; Ning Xuegui, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General; Liang Haitao, Vice Mayor of Wenling; Yuan Shouqi, Director of the National Research Center of Pumps; Zhang Desheng, Party Secretary of the Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology of Jiangsu University; and Yuan Jianping, Director of the Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology. The opening ceremony was chaired by Yuan Jianping.

Vice Mayor Liang Haitao delivered a welcome speech, first congratulating the successful convening of the conference. He highlighted Wenling’s role as the birthplace of China’s private economy, with the pump industry as its main pillar. Last year, the industry generated a total output of 67 billion yuan, with listed companies holding a dominant share of the national market, and water pump production accounting for over 40% of the country’s total. He expressed his hope that the conference would strengthen communication and collaboration between enterprises, universities, and research institutions, promote technological innovation, industrial upgrading, and resource sharing, and support the high-quality development of manufacturing. He also emphasized the importance of deepening industry-university-research cooperation with institutions like Jiangsu University to achieve mutual benefit.

Yuan Shouqi, representing the organizing units, thanked the China Agricultural Machinery Industry Association and the Wenling municipal government for their strong support. He expressed the hope that the newly elected leadership of the Irrigation and Drainage Machinery Branch would unite and collaborate to create new milestones for the industry, driving the rapid development of irrigation and drainage equipment.

The Member Representative Assembly of the Irrigation and Drainage Machinery Branch of the China Agricultural Machinery Industry Association was then convened, chaired by Xiao Junhua, Director of the Association’s Industry Work Department. He read the Association’s official approval of the leadership transition and held elections. LEO Group Pump Industry Co., Ltd. and Chairman Yan Tufu were elected as the new Chair Unit and President, respectively. Twenty-nine organizations, including the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences, were elected as Vice Chair Units, and 29 individuals, including Hou Yongsheng, were elected as Vice Presidents. The Secretariat of the Branch was confirmed to be based at the Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology of Jiangsu University, with Pei Ji elected as Secretary-General and five others nominated as Vice Secretaries-General.

Zhao Yanshui and Yuan Shouqi presented appointment letters to the newly elected representatives. In addition, Xu Mintian and Hou Yongsheng were awarded the title of Outstanding Workers of the Branches of the China Agricultural Machinery Industry Association.

After his election, President Yan Tufu stated that the Branch would uphold the mission of the China Agricultural Machinery Industry Association, promote technological progress and healthy development in the irrigation and drainage machinery industry, and position "Made in China" as a more prominent player in the global irrigation and drainage machinery market.

In the concluding speech, Zhao Yanshui emphasized that irrigation and drainage machinery is a crucial sector in agricultural machinery and plays a vital role in ensuring national agricultural safety. He called for greater attention to the digital transformation of the industry and encouraged the new leadership of the Irrigation and Drainage Machinery Branch to continue innovating, push forward, and promote collaborative industrial development. He also stressed the importance of enhancing communication and cooperation among member enterprises, sharing resources, and building a strong collective force to contribute to the modernization of agriculture.

Finally, the Symposium on the High-Quality Development of Irrigation and Drainage Equipment was held, chaired by Pei Ji, Secretary-General of the Branch. During the special invited report session, notable experts presented on various topics, including:

●Kim Kwang-Yong, Fellow of KAIST, on centrifugal pump design considering recirculation, cavitation, and unsteady flow.

●Yuan Shouqi, Director of the National Research Center of Pumps, discussing the current status and future trends of China’s irrigation and drainage machinery industry.

●Yan Haijun, Executive Deputy Director of the Ministry of Agriculture's Irrigation and Water Resources Engineering Research Center, on advances in sprinkler irrigation technology.

●Kang Xianglan, General Manager of LEO Group Zhejiang Pump Co., Ltd., on the application of digitalization in the pump industry.

●Zhang Desheng, Party Secretary of the Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology of Jiangsu University, on technology development in the pump sector.

●Hou Yongsheng, on smart agriculture and its role in irrigation.

●Pei Ji, on pump system optimization and energy-saving technologies.

●Etc.

These presentations generated lively discussions among attendees, providing new insights into the future development of the industry and offering valuable references for subsequent research and practical applications.

The event not only clarified the direction for the future of the irrigation and drainage machinery industry but also served as a bridge for communication and collaboration among industry professionals. With the concerted efforts of all sectors, China’s irrigation and drainage machinery industry is set to achieve an even brighter future.