Charles Ngendakumana, a farmer in Burundi’s Bubanza province, was busy tending to his cattle on a sultry afternoon. He was standing in the backyard of his newly built rural home, a spacious bungalow with freshly painted lime walls. As he added grass to the cattle trough, he pointed to a dozen hens running around and said they were given to his family by Chinese agricultural experts.
Ngendakumana added that the Chinese experts also provided good rice seeds, fertilizer, and taught him planting techniques that have helped him increase his yields. Since four years ago, he has been growing hybrid rice introduced from China under the guidance of the Chinese experts. As a result, his farmland has increased from half a hectare to five hectares in Ninga, a village in the Commune of Gihanga.
With his increased yields, Ngendakumana plans to buy more land, more cows, and several new water pumps when the dry season comes. He said this was “unthinkable” in the past when even food was scarce before the arrival of Chinese expert teams.
Burundi is known as the “heart of Africa” and has a tropical climate with abundant rainfall. Its natural conditions are favorable to rice production, but the low yield of local rice production causes food shortages. To address this challenge, China has been implementing technical cooperation programs in Burundi since August 2009.
In five batches, China has sent a total of 45 experts to the African country to help develop agriculture. The Chinese experts have shared their knowledge and expertise in areas such as hybrid rice cultivation, vegetable cultivation, and aquaculture. They have also provided Burundian farmers with agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizers.
Through these efforts, Chinese experts have helped improve the living standards of many Burundian farmers like Ngendakumana. Before the arrival of the Chinese experts, Ngendakumana and his family struggled to access food. Now, with their increased yields, they have enough to feed themselves and sell the surplus in the market. They also have the resources to expand their farm and invest in new technologies that will increase their productivity.
China’s technical cooperation program in Burundi has not only helped improve food security in the country but also created employment opportunities for local people. As a result, the program has contributed to poverty reduction in the region.
Chinese technical cooperation programs in Burundi have had a positive impact on the country’s agriculture sector. By sharing their knowledge and expertise, Chinese experts have helped improve the productivity of local farmers and increased their incomes. These efforts have not only addressed the food security challenges in the country but also contributed to poverty reduction.
Charles Ngendakumana, a farmer in Burundi’s northwestern Bubanza province, has seen great improvement in his farming techniques since Chinese agricultural experts arrived in his village four years ago. With their help, Ngendakumana has grown hybrid rice, increased his farmland from half a hectare to five hectares, and received a dozen hens to provide food for his family. The Chinese agricultural experts have been implementing technical cooperation programs in Burundi since August 2009, sending a total of 45 experts to the African country in five batches to help develop agriculture.
The country of Burundi has a tropical climate with abundant rainfall, making it favorable for rice production. However, the low yield of local rice production has caused food shortages, which China has been working to address. The Chinese experts are currently planting hybrid rice in 22 villages in the country, helping to realize Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye’s slogan — “Every mouth has food and every pocket, money.”
The Chinese experts have visited fields in all 14 rice-growing provinces of the country to conduct research and trials, and successfully selected and introduced eight varieties of rice seed adapted to the local conditions. This has helped effectively address the problem of yield reduction or even extinction caused by rice plague in the mountainous areas of Burundi. Jiang Daiming, a Chinese expert, explained that the introduced disease-resistant varieties can yield four to 5 tons per hectare, sometimes even 7 tons, which is twice as much as the local varieties.
The Chinese experts have also helped establish the first demonstration village of rice cultivation for poverty alleviation in Ninga village, where hybrid rice was grown for five consecutive seasons. Since hybrid rice was planted there, the village has increased its rice production by 1,661 metric tons, resulting in improved income for local households. To help Burundi build an independent and sustainable rice industry, Chinese experts have conducted 82 training sessions in the country, training 3,050 people, including dozens of bright young Burundians who are using the skills they have learned to help lift villagers out of poverty throughout the country.
Ngendakumana is one of many farmers who have benefitted from the training sessions conducted by the Chinese experts. He plans to buy more land, cows, and new water pumps when the dry season comes. These improvements were once unthinkable in the days when even food was scarce. Thanks to the efforts of the Chinese experts, farmers like Ngendakumana now have the resources and knowledge to improve their livelihoods and contribute to the development of Burundi’s agriculture industry.
In addition to improving rice production, the Chinese experts have also helped address other issues in Burundi’s agriculture industry, including irrigation and pest control. Their efforts have not only improved food security and income for local households, but also contributed to the development of Burundi’s overall economy. The cooperation between China and Burundi in agriculture is a prime example of how international partnerships can help address global challenges and promote sustainable development.
Ernest Irankunda, a young man from Ninga, made a selfless decision to learn rice cultivation techniques from Chinese experts instead of attending university, out of a sense of duty to his family. With the help of Chinese agricultural experts, Irankunda has become a local expert in rice cultivation, and his skills have earned him a position as a team leader. He was recently hired by the government to share his farming experience with the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Agricultural cooperation between China and African countries has been a key focus in recent years, with the aim of reducing rural poverty in Africa. This cooperation has been a vital component of the broader partnership between China and African countries. At the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Senegal a year ago, China announced a three-year program aimed at poverty reduction and agricultural development in Africa.
This program is an extension of China’s longstanding commitment to help African countries develop their agricultural sectors and reduce poverty. In recent years, China has sent agricultural experts to Africa to share their knowledge and expertise, and to help improve local farming techniques. This has led to increased crop yields and improved food security for millions of people across the continent.
Ernest Irankunda’s story is just one example of how China’s agricultural cooperation with African countries is helping to empower young people and build sustainable futures for communities across the continent. With continued collaboration, China and African countries can work together to address global challenges, reduce poverty, and promote sustainable development.
China’s agricultural cooperation program with African countries has been instrumental in reducing poverty in rural Africa. To further this goal, China announced its plan to implement a poverty reduction and agricultural development program with Africa over the next three years. As part of the program, China will send 500 agricultural experts to Africa, establish joint centers for modern agrotechnology exchange, demonstration, and training in China, and encourage Chinese institutions and companies to build demonstration villages in Africa that support agricultural development and poverty reduction.
One such village was recently inaugurated in Matangi Tisa, a village in Kenya’s Nakuru County. The chief official for agriculture in the county, Fredrick Owino, has welcomed the initiative, stating that the project will promote China’s advanced farming technologies in Kenya, boosting agricultural production and reducing poverty. The project is expected to equip villagers with knowledge and small-scale technologies to improve their productivity, particularly in chicken rearing.
Another demonstration village for China-Africa agricultural development and poverty reduction was set up in Shimwengwe village, in Zambia’s Lusaka province. The project is expected to equip villagers with knowledge and small-scale technologies to improve their productivity, particularly in chicken rearing. Through the project, villagers will learn about China’s advanced farming techniques, which will help them to improve their productivity and reduce poverty.
The Chinese experts who have been implementing technical cooperation programs in Burundi since 2009 have also introduced apple trees and promoted poultry farming, aquaculture, and rice-fish farming. Prosper Dodiko, permanent secretary of Burundi’s Ministry of Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock, is grateful for the work of the Chinese expert teams, stating that the next phase of Burundi’s agricultural development will focus on developing irrigation systems and agricultural mechanization.
The Chinese experts have been visiting fields in all 14 rice-growing provinces in Burundi to conduct research and trials. They have successfully selected and introduced eight varieties of rice seeds adapted to the local conditions. This has helped to effectively address the problem of yield reduction or even extinction caused by rice plague in the mountainous areas of Burundi. Jiang Daiming, a Chinese expert, has explained that the introduced disease-resistant varieties can yield four to 5 tons per hectare, sometimes even 7 tons, which is twice as much as the local varieties.
The cooperation between China and African countries in agriculture is an excellent example of how international partnerships can help to address global challenges and promote sustainable development. It has helped to improve food security, increase income for local households, and contributed to the overall development of African countries. Ernest Irankunda, a young man from Ninga, gave up the opportunity to attend university out of a sense of duty to his family and decided to learn rice cultivation techniques from Chinese experts. Now, he has become a local expert in rice cultivation and was recently hired by the government to lead a team to share farming experience in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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