True and sincere, hand in hand with peers, China experts take root in Nigeria to help local agricultural modernization

CCTV News:On March 25th, 2013, the Supreme Leader of president, China delivered an important speech entitled "Always Be a Reliable Friend and Sincere Partner" at Nyerere International Conference Center, and put forward the policy concept of "truthfulness, truthfulness, closeness and sincerity" towards Africa. In the past 10 years, China-Africa cooperation has been deepened, expanded, upgraded and upgraded, and the story of China helping African friends realize the common development of China-Africa friendship has been going on.

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has vast arable land and good natural conditions. However, due to the backward level of agricultural development, Nigeria still has a large amount of food shortage every year. A group of China agricultural technical experts took root in the local area, cultivated crops, disseminated technology and trained personnel, vividly interpreting the concept of "truthfulness, truthfulness, intimacy and sincerity". With the completion of China’s agricultural technology demonstration center to assist Nigeria, more crop varieties and technical equipment are expected to be introduced to the local area and widely promoted, which will continue to help Nigeria’s food security and agricultural modernization transformation.

Headquarters reporter He Beiping:This is an agricultural park located in the northwest suburb of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. In December last year, the agricultural technology demonstration center aided by the government of China was completed and handed over to the Nigerian government. At present, the demonstration center is operated and managed by a China enterprise, and they have been studying and popularizing agricultural technology here for more than ten years.

On the day of the reporter’s interview, the new season of rice in the demonstration center entered the transplanting season. In the demonstration field of more than 40 mu, more than 10 local farmers, led by China technical expert Wang Xuemin, carried out the work of rice transplanting and weed removal, and learned a lot of knowledge and technology of agricultural planting.

Isaac, employee of Nigeria Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center:My master taught me all kinds of planting techniques, and I learned a lot. I plan to open my own farm when I have money, and use the technology of China to develop my country.

In 2003, Wang Xuemin came to Nigeria as a technician sent by China-Nepal "South-South Cooperation" agricultural project. He promoted the use of China’s basic farm tools, such as threshing machines and threshers, to local farmers.

In 2006, Wang Xuemin came to Kebi State in the northwest of Nigeria and founded a large rice planting farm with a group of agricultural technicians. Wang Xuemin found that an important reason for restricting local rice production is the low quality of local seeds. Since 2008, Wang Xuemin and his colleagues have started seed research and development experiments.

Wang Xuemin, a rice planting expert from Nigeria Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center:Finally, in 2017, our new variety was successfully approved and promoted in a large area. Its output increased by about 30% compared with the local main varieties, which was loved by farmers. Before our seeds are ripe, they will be reserved by local farmers for use as seeds.

At present, this variety has been promoted and planted in the local area for more than five years, which has accumulated more than 2 million tons of rice for Nigeria and benefited at least 200,000 farmers. Agricultural experts in China also introduced the sowing technology from China to the local area, which greatly improved the sowing efficiency. More than 800 people have been trained, and they have also established deep feelings in their long-term contacts with local people.

Wang Xuemin, a rice planting expert from Nigeria Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center:The popularization of our technology has brought tangible benefits to the people. They are very happy and kind to us. As soon as I go there, they call me Lao Wang. Once when I came back from a business trip, my car slipped into a ditch on the side of the road. Without saying anything, they helped me carry it out together.

Now, the Nigerian agricultural technology demonstration center assisted by China has been completed. The demonstration center includes technical training center, agricultural technology research and service center and other related facilities. It also plans to hold regular training courses every year to help Nigerian agricultural officials, technicians and ordinary farmers improve their agricultural skills, and promote the level of agricultural modernization in Nigeria by attracting investment and promoting agricultural projects suitable for local development.

Wang Jun, head of Chinese operation management enterprise of Nigeria Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center:At present, it is mainly through attracting investment and introducing agricultural technology to find agricultural projects suitable for Nigeria’s development, and through such projects to demonstrate, train and popularize.

Nigerian agricultural officials expressed their belief that under the guidance of the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the policy concept of "truthfulness, truthfulness, closeness and sincerity", China-Africa agricultural cooperation will certainly be able to keep moving forward and bear new fruits.

Abubakar, Director of Agriculture Department of Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture:Since the "South-South Cooperation" agricultural project between China and Nepal, the agricultural departments of the two countries have carried out a lot of cooperation. Experts from China came to our farmers and taught them modern agricultural technology, which was a great success. We have gained great benefits from it, especially the establishment of a demonstration center, which is the real support of China, and we are very grateful for it.