Fifty-seven villages, 27 from Taiwan and 30 from the mainland, partnered up Wednesday to cooperate on agriculture projects Wednesday.

Farmers signed a memo agreeing to visit each other and to plan projects, said a statement issued by the forum of farmers sponsored by the mainland-based Cross-Straits Agricultural Exchange Association (CSAEA) and Taiwan Farmer's Association (TFA).

Generally the partnership is between a mainland village and a Taiwan counterpart. But three Taiwan villages forged a partnership with two mainland counterparts each.

The mainland villages are in Shanghai and six southern and southwestern provinces while the Taiwan villages are from the island's 12 counties.

Village chiefs from the two sides had introduced their villages and exchanged ideas on how to boost agriculture at the forum, the statement said.

"This is a good start to develop a grassroots exchange platform. I believe more villages from the two sides will join them," said Hsiao Ching-tien, the TFA executive supervisor, at the forum.

About 300 village chiefs, representatives of farmer's associations, agricultural experts and officials attended the forum, including 100 from Taiwan.

The two associations agreed to make the forum a regular meeting and set up a secretariat to take charge of its daily business and serve farmers across the Taiwan Straits. The forum will be held alternately by each side.

The frequency of the forum is yet to be decided and they gave no timetable for the secretariat.

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2009)