Farming centers expand crop yields, offer training

A Chinese-brand tractor works on farmland in Zimbabwe. [Photo/Xinhua]

Experts say Chinese agricultural demonstration centers have significantly helped train personnel and increase crop production, but their performance could be improved through a better understanding of African countries' needs and situations.

Chen Hualin, director of the China-Tanzania Agricultural Demonstration Center, the first one, said they have trained about 1,200 technicians and farmers at the center and 2,450 farmers in the local community.

Using a Chinese rice variety and technology, Chen said, the center can produce 8 to 10 metric tons of rice per hectare, compared with 2 to 4.5 tons in local production. The center produces 1 to 2 more tons of corn per hectare than is locally produced.

The China-Ethiopia Agricultural Demonstration Center is also trying to expand crop yields. "Farmers only plant once a year in the rain season. We are promoting planting twice a year," center Director Chen Weichao said.

He said the China-Ethiopia center has established recycling of all agricultural resources.

"We convert our livestock's excrement into fertilizer, and the livestock receive fodder from the crops. Extra straw is used to make enough methane for our cooking. This could be very significant for Ethiopia."

The agricultural center concept is a good way to help Africa meet its food needs, experts said, though one questioned their operational efficiency.

Peng Dajun, a former coordinator for the Ethiopian government's agricultural-technical vocational education program, said the Ethiopian center does not fully meet the country's needs.

Peng, who has been in Ethiopia since 2001 for China-Ethiopia agricultural cooperation, mentioned that Ethiopia would like the center to help increase the production of teff, a staple of the Ethiopian diet that is in short supply, but the center has not responded to that need.