The agriculture industry is a driving force in the stability of every nation in Africa. It is estimated that over sixty per cent of individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa, which constitutes a greater percentage of Africa’s population own small farms. Statistically, agriculture contributes about 23 per cent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP. Certainly, smallholding farming in Africa means less utilization of science and technology in agriculture. Africa, a continent rich in resources, but more especially Sub- Sahara having favourable conditions necessary to support both plant and animal farming has been always been a green place to invest and increase agricultural yield.
China on the other hand with time has risen to become the world’s new science and technology powerhouse. Despite being the most populous country in the world with almost 1.4 billion people, China ranks number one, becoming the world’s largest agricultural economy producing 20 per cent of the world’s food. Beyond the impressive supply of the world’s food production, China still contributes its quota to increasing agriculture and alleviation of poverty in other parts of the world extending its expertise in science and technology.
China’s strategy to go global with localization of industrialization has extended massively to the African continent. The Belt and Road initiative in 2012 about food security was a clearer and more precise foreign policy that continued the earlier foreign Chinese policies in the 1990s. China’s agricultural development policy in Africa is distinct from the Western agricultural development scheme which has not necessarily seen a great improvement. This is because the emphasis has been placed on factors like direct food aid which has rather reduced the dependence of local customers on the local producers.
China’s agricultural production in its distinctive framework is designed to meet the local context and lubricate production from Africa using science and technology. China’s agricultural development emphasizes self- demand. It is geared towards the transfer of technology and the integration of agricultural design into local contexts. Agriculture extension facilities are being established in African countries by the Chinese government. As of 2016, there were about 23 Chinese Agricultural Technology Development Centers for the first phase even though they have increased presently
These extensions are accompanied by special varieties of crops that yield much, training for local people, setting up of local processing factories, and sales. Special varieties mean excellent and standard yield. Localized training presents the gift of technology and technical know-how which can be passed on from generation to generation. Beyond the borders of Africa, about 10,000 African officials are trained in China each year on various themes of which agriculture and development are pre-eminent. Local processing factories present the opportunity of the ready market as a result of multiple applications of processed produce.
With time, African countries will become sophisticated in science and technology and hopefully increase in yield both for local consumption and commercial sales on the world market.
The road to poverty reduction and alleviation of insufficient food on the African continent is delving towards an optimistic direction. Industrialization which has been a lubricant to making economies great is taking the stage in the African arena. The China foreign policy initiative to industrialize agriculture in Africa is favourably set to meet the circumstances, but the ultimate success lies in the positive response of Africans.
“Statistically, agriculture contributes about 23 per cent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP
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