I don't have an exact agenda, emptyone. Once we gather at the main office in Guangzhou, we're under Solomon's direction and given precise schedules each day. Edited to answer your question: the tour dates are December 12-19.
Last year, we spent a day or two in Guangzhou on the front end (some participants came one day later than others), with meetings in the office, intro to staff, greeting dinner with senior staff, visits to WC1 and future site of WC2 and TC, a dinner at Leone's.
Generally, there were countless bus rides, to and from airports and for long distances to and between SIAF sites. The second or third morning (depending on when a person arrived), we flew to Xining and spent 2 nights, 2 and a half days at SJAP, touring the operations, driving out to the fields where the special feed is grown, participating in presentations by SJAP management and discussions with professors who are involved with improving cattle feed and fertilizer, dinner at Bull Restaurant (where, at my table, the most distinguished professor tried to make me participate in a drinking game that none of us understood the rules for. I had to drop out, it was just about drinking more and more shots of something strong.) SJAP is truly committed to CSR (corporate social responsibility) employing students and graduates of a local agricultural trade college, and a local agricultural research university.
The next morning, we visited the brand new Qinghai Natural History museum, with fascinating exhibits (and not enough time to take it all in) before we flew to Hunan and rode for many hours to Linli where we had dinner with local government officials who are involved with HSA. The next day was spent at HSA, and touring some other companies that the government officials also sponsor, then flying back to Guangzhou. (I think there's a high speed train between Hunan and Guangzhou that I hope we'll take this time. The Guangzhou East train station is a two block walk from SIAF's offices, rather than another one hour bus ride from the airport.)
Once back in Guangzhou, we toured Guandong province facilities for 2 days (prawn farms, fish research station, fish farm, HU plantation, cattle farm), and then back to Guangzhou for wrap-up meetings and departure day.
There were different managers along for different portions of the tour. A senior marketing guy, Jonathan, and the company attorney, Anthony, were always with us, as was Solomon.
I'm really looking forward to this trip, as so much of what we saw under construction last year will be in actual operation!
AI
