Agriculture has been identified as a priority area of development in the China-Africa strategic partnership.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang reaffirmed his country’s commitment to assist Africa increase agricultural productivity and improve food security during a visit to Africa in May.
He announced that China plans to train 2,000 agricultural technicians and management personnel in Africa during the next five years.
Under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) launched in 2000, the two sides agreed to work together in boosting agricultural production in Africa and ensuring food security for its citizens.
China pledged in 2012 to increase the number of agricultural technology demonstration centres from 15 to 20.
As Africa celebrates the Year of Agriculture and Food Security, the Southern African News Features visited the Gwebi Agricultural Demonstration Centre near Harare in Zimbabwe to find out how China is contributing to the green revolution in Africa.
The Gwebi Agricultural Demonstration Centre is one of the 20 agricultural centres to be built in Africa by China. A total of 15 centres are now already operational.
Of these, seven are in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), namely in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The other demonstration centres are located in Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia, Togo, Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda. The other five centres are expected to be built in countries such as Mali.
The Gwebi Agricultural Demonstration Centre project started in 2009 when the governments of Zimbabwe and China signed an agreement to build the facility.
Construction began in March 2010 and was completed in 2012.
Under the agreement, the 100-hectare centre will be managed by China between 2012 and 2015, after which the centre will be handed to Zimbabwe.
Chinese experts at the Gwebi Agricultural Demonstration Centre said the facility has strengthened the capacity of local farmers to manage their crops and farming machinery.
“Since we started operating in 2012, we have trained over 3,000 students and farmers,” one of the experts, Richard Wang said.
He revealed that the centre leased farming equipment such as tractors and combine harvesters to Zimbabwean farmers as part of a programme to improve agricultural mechanisation in the country.
At least four training courses are conducted at the centre every year, each targeting 20 farmers.
The centre also conducts on-site courses in rural areas for those that cannot afford to attend the training in Harare.
“We mainly focus on farmers who come to us, and our wish is to also train as many smallholder farmers as possible, particularly those based in the rural areas,” Wang said.
The demonstration centre also works with the Gwebi Agricultural College to train its students, as well as offer technical support in some of its commercial farming ventures.
He said Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa have the potential to become global players in agriculture if right policies are put in place.
“Africa could have enough food for itself if things are done properly because the conditions for agriculture are there and very good,” he said.
He said the continent has vast fertile land and enjoys good weather and abundant labour.
“What you call smallholder farms here in Africa in terms of space are actually commercial farms in China,” weighed in Frank Yu, another Chinese expert at the centre.
Yu noted that China was ready to assist Africa to reach its full potential in harnessing its agricultural potential.
He dismissed the notion that the involvement of China in African agriculture was another scramble for land on the continent motivated by the need to feed its own people back home in Asia.
China, he said, was in Africa to help the continent develop its agricultural sector and ensure global food security.
He said in 2015 the Chinese government will hand over full control of the Gwebi Agricultural Demonstration Centre to Zimbabwe.
This is a general procedure in each of the 20 African countries that have the agricultural demonstration centres.
“When we hand over the centre, we will, however, be available to offer any technical support needed,” said Yu.
He indicated that similar handovers in other countries such as Mozambique have been successful as host governments “are always keen to make the projects a success.”
The investment by China in African agricultural is thus critical in ensuring the green revolution on the continent.
According to a new report titled Agriculture in Africa: Transformation and Outlook that was published by the African Union and NEPAD, Africa has steadily increased production in last three decades.
However, that productivity has not kept pace with population growth, expected to reach two billion people by 2050, and there is need for African countries to do more to develop its agricultural sector.
