File photo shows a Chinese cereals expert explains to farmers in the eastern Ugandan district of Budaka how to grow Chinese hybrid rice, Oct. 25, 2016. (Xinhua/Ronald Ssekandi)
KAMPALA, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Technical assistance from China is critical in fast-tracking Africa's agricultural development, a top UN envoy here for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said.
Antonio Querido, FAO Uganda country representative, told Xinhua in a recent interview that Africa can draw lessons on how China was able to develop the agriculture sector in efforts to push forward the country's economic development.
Querido said China through a tripartite agreement with FAO and some member countries has over the years been sending technical experts to Africa through the South-South Cooperation (SSC) Program.
He said the experts, specializing in different fields in agriculture share practical experiences with the farmers in gardens on how to boost production.
"We strongly believe that we can further this SSC and indeed we are working on the third phase of the SSC, with China bringing their technical know-how, their technical expertise to help support the local farmers here in Uganda and through Africa," Querido said.
Some countries like Uganda have already had the first and second phase of the cooperation where the technicians introduced high-yielding and drought varieties like the Chinese foxtail millet.
At the end of the second phase in 2017, Christopher Kibazanga, Uganda's minister of state for agriculture said the technicians trained and improved farmers' knowledge, skills and capacity in horticulture, cereals, aquaculture, livestock, and cross cutting issues using modern technologies.
Ministry of agriculture figures show that about 3,000 farmers were trained in cereals, horticulture, aquaculture and livestock in Uganda's five hubs of Kabale, Budaka, Mbarara, Amuria and Wakiso.
INVESTMENT
Agriculture is the major economic activity in many African countries with over 70 percent of the continent's population deriving its livelihood from the sector, according to the World Bank. The global financial institution argues that agriculture growth is critical in reducing poverty on the continent.
Experts argue that Africa needs to take advantage of the massive Chinese investment on the continent's transport and energy infrastructure to stimulate production.
Fred Muhumuza, an economist told Xinhua in a recent interview that there is need to focus on agro-processing since a large part of the population derives its livelihood from agriculture.
Querido said there is need to invest more in agriculture since it is the back-bone of most of the African economies.
"We look at expertise from South to South Cooperation in a way that can support this process and help the nations to really boost their investment in agriculture," he said.
Some Chinese investors have already started investing in the sector. In Uganda for instance, there is a 220 million U.S. dollar Kehong China-Uganda Agricultural Industrial Park. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni described the industrial park as critical in transforming the country's economy.
When fully operational, Kehong China-Uganda Agricultural Industrial Park is expected to produce about 600,000 tons of agro-products annually to meet the domestic and regional market demands.
It will also create 25,000 jobs and avail opportunities of training for the local people, according to the managers of the park.
