by Zheng Xin, Zhang Yongxing, and Tai Beiping
APIA, Samoa, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- In a sunny afternoon, John Maposua, one of the Samoan 100 model farmers trained under a China-aid agricultural project, are checking the growth of the football-shaped eggplant in his 10-acre farm at Aleasa village near the Samoan capital of Apia.
"These eggplants will be sold to local hotels and restaurants immediately after they're mature," Maposua told Xinhua in an interview, being grateful for the Chinese experts that mentored him on how to grow high-quality vegetable seeds.
"I'm a farmer here for 30 years. Previously I grew eggplants but could hardly sell them for a good price. Now using seeds from Chinese experts, my farm produce is in great demand in Apia," he said.
Maposua and the Samoan farmers are literally reaping the fruits of the Samoa-China Agricultural Technical Aid Project (SCATAP). Initiated in 2010, the project was designed to help Samoan farmers enhance their sustainable livelihoods.
China sent experts to Samoa, setting up demonstration farms to show locals how to increase productivity and promote sustainable agriculture.
SCATAP has proven to be successful, literally dubbed as one of "the most fruitful" Chinese projects overseas. By introducing high-quality seeds, sustainable facilities, and technologies from China, agricultural production in Samoa has greatly improved.
Samoans like Maposua welcome SCATAP after they are surprised to see high-quality vegetables and fruits like eggplants, cucumber, broccoli, green peppers, watermelons and oranges grow at the demonstration farm operated by Chinese experts.
"Compared to Chinese crops varieties, local vegetables and fruits like cucumbers are much smaller, less-production, and pricy, " said Liu Zhiwen, senior agronomist and team leader of SCATAP.
Statistics show that about two-thirds of all households in Samoa depend on a mixture of subsistence agriculture and cash cropping which makes up over 10 percent of the country's gross domestic product and 70 percent of the labor force. Most Samoans grow food crops for home consumption and cash crops for export.
However, the impact of severe climate change and old-fashioned agricultural skills dragged down the Samoan farmers' pursuit of a more sustainable and well-off life.
Data also show that Samoa's imports of agricultural products account for one-quarter of total imports of the country in the last few years, including rice, wheat, sugar, vegetable and fruits.
Sponsored by the Chinese government, Hunan Provincial Agricultural Foreign Economic Cooperation Center (HPAFECC) was tasked to implement the project with the Samoan government.
Liu said there were a few challenges at the beginning of the implementation of the project due to communication problems. "We are experts in agriculture but not experts in English," Liu said with a strong Hunan province dialect of Mandarin.
Another challenge was the Samoan weather and geographical conditions, which are totally different from those in China, said the expert.
However, the problem was solved after an in-depth investigation and research. Experts found out that the Chinese small or medium-scale agricultural production skills are suitable for Samoa, and that some machinery can also be used for plowing, planting and harvesting.
"Samoa's agriculture sector will be more profitable with new techniques and knowledge in farming applied. Their output will be greatly improved," Liu said.
"The experts of this project gave us some of the experiences that we don't know before, from the solving of seeds to how to cultivate lands," said Keneti Leavasa, a senior expert of Crops Division of the Samoan Ministry of Agricultural and Fisheries.
"Our farmer used to just plant, but did not cultivate the land properly. They provided us experiences and skills not only for the vegetables, the crops but also for lifestyles," he added.
Liu also hoped that his "students" can share what they have learned with the people of neighboring Pacific island countries in the future.
China has provided a total of six million U.S. dollars for the project that is divided into four phases, with Phase four launched in June 2017 and nine Chinese agricultural experts assigned to work in the island nation for three years to 2020.
According to the Chinese experts, the demo farms are now growing more than 40 varieties of crops for testing and 15 of them have been registered by Samoan authorities. Through the project, modern agricultural technology facilities on greenhouse cultivation, high-yield fruit cultivation, organic fertilizer and soil improvement were set up in the country.
HPAFECC has also established nine agricultural stations and provided agricultural training for more than 7,000 farmers.
Maposua is a trainee of the project. In 2018, Chinese experts helped him build two tunnel houses and a drip irrigation system on the farm.
"I'm very grateful. The Chinese experts gave me seeds, facilities and taught me new technologies and farming skills," Maposua said.
In the past, he said Samoans can hardly afford high prices of fresh vegetables and fruits but now nearly all Samoans can buy and taste good quality produce.
For instance, he said a watermelon once cost 150 Samoan tala (roughly 55 U.S. dollars) and a kilo of green pepper cost over 50 Samoan tala (roughly 19 U.S. dollars). "But now, the prices of products are cut to nearly two thirds," he said.
Lowering the prices of his product does not mean less income for farmers like Maposua. On the contrary, he said his earnings rise as more locals and foreigners can now afford the fresh vegetables and fruits that he grows and sells.
By using tunnel houses, or a simplified version of greenhouse, he said he managed to increase productivity and earn over 11,000 Samoan tala (about 4,100 U.S. dollars).
"We need China's support," he added, hoping that Chinese experts will stay to teach them more new techniques.
The production of high-quality vegetables and fruits not only ensured Samoa's domestic need on food consumption and increased farmers' income, but also boost their import substitution efforts and enhanced their national pride.
Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said during the inauguration of Samoa Corp Variety Trial Station at a demon farm on Oct. 21 that growing their own vegetables and fruits makes Samoa less dependent on imported fresh products.
"SCATAP has significantly improved the vegetables and fruits production in Samoa," Tuilaepa said.
"I am happy to say that our SCATAP's partnership with our farmers, are now producing high-quality nutritious fresh vegetables and fruits which can significantly replace imported fruits and vegetables."
Tuilaepa noted that the project has also helped solve the vegetable shortage in Savaii, the largest island of Samoa.
"The contribution of this project to our economy and the livelihood of the people of Samoa, particularly our farmers and communities, is the key. It contributes to achieve our aim for a healthy, productive and sustainable agriculture for Samoa," he added.
Tuilaepa lauded the SCATAP, saying the project is a successful example of south-south cooperation between China and Pacific island countries like Samoa.
Indeed, Samoans are greatly benefiting from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through the project, said the SCATAP team leader Liu, quoting a Chinese proverb "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
"Dr. Liu and his team are doing an excellent job and my Ministry will testify to that, so a big thank you for that and hope Phase Five will be approved soon," said Lopaoo Natanielu Mua, the Samoan Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Chinese Ambassador to Samoa Chao Xiaoliang also hailed the SCATAP. "The project directly benefits the local farmers by improving their lives. It has been welcomed by all sectors of the Samoan society," he said.
