Simple technology, big harvest

Intro: A joint agricultural programme between China and Tanzania has helped scaling up maize production and boosted farmers’  income in Tanzania.

“We used to harvest less than 8 sacks of maize per acre. But with China’s agricultural technologies, we are now able to generate 10 to 16 sacks per acre.” “Now we can generate more production with smaller farms, and our incomes have also increased,” Adamu, a villager from Mtegowa Simba, Morogoro Region in Tanzania, said.

It is China-Tanzania joint programme of scaling up maize production and boosting farmers’  income that was good for Adamu.

The video, titled Simple Technology, Big Harvest, co-produced by China Agricultural University(CAU) and China.org.cn, shows the programme which introduces China’s key experiences in agricultural development, namely, role of state in development and simple appropriate technology.

It is said that Tanzania's agricultural population accounts for 80% of its total population, and the growth rate of agriculture is up to 4-5%. However, the number of poor people has not decreased significantly.China has accumulated unique experience in promoting rural development based on smallholders and reducing poverty. Since 2011, the research team from CAU, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and the Morogoro regional government, has been planting maize toboost farmers’ income in wa Simba village.Currently there are more than 200 pilot households in wa Simba village, accounting for 50 percent of the total number of households in the village. The maize yields of the pilot households have tripled. Four surrounding villages have also joined in the programme.

Since 2018, the research team has continued their cooperation on a new project aiming to increase the yield of 10,000 mu (1647 acres) maize field for 1,000 households in 10 villages of Tanzania’s Morogoro region, to extend the impact of the previous phases of programme for more local farmers.

The video was released on a side-event of the Second United Nations High-level Conference on South-South Cooperation held in Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 21.

Sun Qixin, president of China Agricultural University, said in his opening speech, as the video “Simple Technology, Big Harvest” presented, we have piloted a development project jointly with our African partners, and peer-to-peer shared China’s agricultural development experiences to close the development gap. 

Mbelwa Kairuki, ambassador of Tanzania to China, commented after watching the video, China has made great progress in agricultural technologies. It feeds 22 percent of the world’s population with 7 percent of the lands in the world. Its achievements have attracted worldwide attention. With further development of South-South Cooperation, China’s advanced agricultural technologies have been used in Africa and helps achieve zero hunger in Africa. China-Tanzania joint program of scaling up maize production and boosting farmers’ income is a wonderful example. The program aims to increase the yield of 10,000 mu (1647 acres) maize field for 1,000 households in Tanzania’s Morogoro region by using China’s key experiences in agricultural development, namely, role of state in development and simple appropriate technologies. Famers’ income has been increased. The rights and interests of women and children have been further protected. Tanzania has always been enthusiastic to the Belt and Road Initiative and is willing to further cooperation with China, so as to promote connectivity and sustainable development.