The rice waves are rolling, and the fragrance of rice is overflowing. At the end of March 2022, 100 hectares of rice were harvested in the Rukaram reclamation area in Bujumbura province, Burundi. Seeing the mountains of rice piled up in the village, villager Leo Cady was overjoyed when he thought that everyone in his family could eat white rice.

You can't go wrong growing food under the guidance of Chinese experts

In November 2021, the Rukaram Reclamation Area was included in the latest batch of hybrid rice poverty alleviation demonstration villages of the China-aided agricultural expert group in Burundi. "Chinese experts brought seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. In just 4 months, the village ushered in the first harvest of the season." Walking in his own field, Leocadi was busy harvesting and drying, while counting to reporters economic account. "The average yield per hectare is more than 9,000 catties, which is more than doubled! The current grain price is high. Excluding land rent, agricultural resources and human input, the net income is 2.1 million Burundian francs (about 6,788 yuan)." As 7 children Mother, Leocadi, carefully planned the use of this income. "Buy some new clothes for the children, add some furniture to the house..." She also plans to rent another piece of land. "The improvement of family life depends on this rice".

Following the first harvest, the village will assist farmers in preparing hybrid rice seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc., according to the guidance of the Chinese expert group. According to the productive investment fund management model, it needs to be used for the next harvest. Yang Huade, head of the Chinese expert group, said: "This can achieve capital preservation and promote the sustainable development of the industry." Yang Huade has provided agricultural assistance in Burundi for more than 6 years, helping the local rice production to double or triple, and was awarded the "Outstanding Contribution Award" by the Ministry of Agriculture of Burundi. ".

A few days ago, Burundi President Ndayishmiye presented a certificate of honor to Yang Huade in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the agricultural development of Burundi. "I handed over the funds for the next season to the cooperative. Under the guidance of the Chinese expert team, it is not wrong to continue growing rice!" The villager Augustine's family harvested 3,600 kilograms of rice this season, with a net income of 3 million Burundian francs. He is looking forward to the next season's harvest, saving more money to build a new house for his family.

A bumper harvest in the Rukaram reclamation area is not uncommon in Burundi. In 2018, a Chinese expert team built the first hybrid rice demonstration project in Lingsi Village, Jihangjia County, Bubanza Province, provided the village with first-quarter productive investment funds and technical guidance, dispatched technical leaders, and Cooperative farmers were trained. Now, the per-unit rice yield in the fourth village of Linge has increased by 136%, and the per capita grain is more than 900 catties, and the whole village has been lifted out of poverty.

Since the China-aided Agricultural Demonstration Center in Burundi was put into use in September 2020, the Chinese expert group has worked closely with the Burundi working group, and agricultural experiments such as hybrid rice and agricultural technology promotion have been carried out one after another. Today, the nine demonstration villages built by the Chinese expert team in Bubanza, Bujumbura and Cibitoke provinces have grown hybrid rice. In 11 mountainous areas with severe rice blast, Chinese experts carefully screened new varieties of rice blast resistance in 13 demonstration villages, and cultivated a total of 3,000 hectares of high-quality rice. "We hope to assist a project, develop an industry, and make ordinary people rich." Yang Huade said.

Bring downstream processed products to a wider market

"I'm going to teach students a lesson now, and I'll visit a few farmers' houses in a while." In 2020, after graduating from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University with a master's degree, Mertier joined the Rwanda Agricultural Commission and worked in the promotion of Juncao. Her husband is also studying for a Ph.D. in the field of Juncao in China, thousands of miles away.

If time went back 10 years ago, Medel would never have imagined that she would have such a deep relationship with the "rich grass" from China. “It was wonderful to taste fresh Juncao for the first time in the training classes held by the center.” The center Meier mentioned was the China-Rwanda Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center, which was established in 2011 in Huye, a southern province of Rwanda.

As one of the four main projects operated by the center, the Juncao project continues and expands the Juncao technology that Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University has long taught to the local area. In the past 10 years, a total of 57 agricultural technical training courses have been held, and more than 2,000 agricultural talents have been trained. After giving the students a theoretical lesson, Mertil rushed to the farmers' homes non-stop to instruct them on how to grow crops. "Here is a corn field with Juncao residue and organic fertilizer, and so are soybeans over there." Looking at the crops in the field, Mertier said proudly, "These farmers are all trained by me." Daimu' planting mushrooms, villager Leonidas not only got rid of poverty, but also led more than 60 families in the village to invest in this industry. "We used the money from growing mushrooms to build a school for the village.

We sent mushrooms to the students, which also solved the problem of malnutrition in children to a great extent. "Talking about the role of the edible mushroom industry in helping Rwandan farmers out of poverty, Meijie was very emotional: "Many farmers first grew mushrooms themselves, and then cultivated them into bags and sold them to other farmers. Now they are trying to produce mushroom powder and dried mushrooms to bring downstream processed products to a wider market. “The edible fungus industry has now become a major booster of Rwanda’s agricultural economy.

There are nearly 90 mushroom grass production companies, cooperatives and other institutions in Rwanda, and more than 30,000 farmers are involved in mushroom cultivation. The technology of "small but beautiful, quick-acting, and benefiting people's livelihood" has taken root and blossomed in Rwanda. Although Myrtle and her husband are far apart, they are happy to have a common cause. In a video link, the husband asked his daughter what her ideals were, and the daughter replied "to become a Juncao expert like a mother." The whole family was overjoyed.

Promoting the Process of Modernizing Nigeria's Agriculture

In April 2022, the central highlands of West Africa are still in the dry season, with the average daily temperature exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. From the Northern Ring Road in Abuja, Nigeria, to the town of Boirie is approximately 12 kilometers. In the Abuja Industrial Park, workers bustled under the scorching sun.

In the second half of 2022, the 80-hectare China Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center will be put into operation here, becoming a new platform for Sino-Nepalese agricultural cooperation and development research. Abe, a young man from Ushafa, a suburb of Abuja, was indescribably happy when he saw the industrial park he participated in the construction of. "I used to work for a company and learned a lot of farming techniques.

Chinese companies tell us how to cultivate good seeds, such as corn, rice, cassava, etc., which can solve the big problem of farmers' survival. In this regard, industrial parks can play a great role in the future. "Abe is full of longing. In March 2022, the industrial park project officially started construction, including agricultural technology training center, agricultural technology research and service center, power center, agricultural machinery exhibition center, etc.

After the industrial park is put into use, it will carry out a series of work such as seedling research and development and cultivation demonstration, agricultural product processing and circulation, agricultural technology training and service, and agricultural equipment research and development and manufacturing. Farmer Manas will work in the power center and the farm machinery display center. "Here are disc plows and cassava processing machines, as well as rice mills and small oil pressing equipment..." Manas Hector is very excited whenever he sees these agricultural machinery and equipment that will be exhibited at the center. . "China has brought the agricultural machinery and equipment we need most, and with these tools it will be much easier to sow, harvest and husker."

Breeding specialists are preparing for a new season of rice breeding at Vala Farms in Beek State, northwestern Nigeria. The farm covers an area of 2,025 hectares and was invested and built by CGCOC Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. in 2006. After more than 10 years of exploration and innovation, the farm has developed a new way of rice cultivation in China that is suitable for the Nigerian environment. "Now, Walla Farm has become an important demonstration and training base for mechanized production in Nigeria. Argon Gu, an agricultural expert from Kaizhou, visited the farm many times and expressed his admiration for the new ideas and new technologies brought by Chinese experts. "In our country In most areas, farmers are still using traditional production tools and methods. "Argon expects that the farm's experience can be extended to the whole country, "to promote the agricultural modernization process in our country. "Keywords: One Belt One Road, One Belt One Road News, One Belt One Road Project

"China always supports us when we need it most. Food security is the biggest problem we face, and the establishment of the Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center will help us solve this problem." Zubailu, Director of the Planning and Policy Coordination Department of the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture Say.Editor/XuNing