China to establish bamboo training, plantation project in Uganda

The government of China has announced plans to establish a bamboo training and plantation project in Uganda.

According to the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, H.E Zhang Lizhong, arrangements are being finalised to send experts in bamboo cultivation to facilitate the initiative.

“We will soon dispatch about nine agricultural experts to train Ugandan farmers in bamboo cultivation,” he stated, adding that; “Uganda has already allocated land for bamboo plantations, and China will introduce varieties more suited to this land, complementing the existing bamboo species in Uganda.”

In the meantime, the experts will set up demonstration centers to serve as models for local farmers. “This is just the beginning; the experts will be here for three years, and we hope to establish additional follow-up programs in the bamboo industry,” he added.

Bamboo products are widely utilised in infrastructure, including flooring, furniture, chairs, desks, and beds. Ambassador Zhang spoke at the launch of the China-Africa Centre of Excellence at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCCRI) in Namulonge on Tuesday.

The China-Africa Centre of Excellence will focus on livestock, crops, and fisheries, specifically on perennial rice, which allows farmers to achieve multiple harvests from a single planting. This variety aims to enhance productivity, reduce labor, and ensure sustainable food security and nutrition for the people of Uganda and beyond.

The initiative is a collaboration with BGI Group, a Chinese company specialising in genetics research, alongside the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO). 

Dr Yonah Baguma, the Director General of NARO, emphasised that this technology is designed to adapt to changing climatic conditions.

“We are establishing the China-Africa Centre of Excellence for livestock, crops, and fisheries, with a particular focus on perennial rice,” he said. “With perennial rice, it will grow like coffee, remaining in the field for up to 50 years, allowing for multiple harvests from a single planting.”

In an interview with the Monitor, Dr Jimmy Lamwo, a rice breeder and Principal Research Officer at NARO, noted, “This variety of perennial rice was developed by our scientists in collaboration with Hunan University in China, using a parent variety from Africa.”

During the recent 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit, China announced ten partnership initiatives covering various areas of cooperation with Uganda. Among these is a partnership for agriculture and livelihood.

Under this partnership, China will provide Africa with over $140 million in emergency food assistance, establish 6,600 hectares of standardized agricultural demonstration areas, dispatch over 500 agricultural experts, and create a China-Africa Agricultural Science and Technology Airlines.

The Chinese Embassy in Uganda is currently collaborating with the government to finalise a list of cooperation projects under these ten initiatives. Last year, China donated $2 million worth of equipment and facilities to support rice farming in the Butaleja region.

The China-Uganda FAO Cooperation began in 2009 to address key constraints in agricultural subsectors such as crops, fisheries, and livestock. According to Ambassador Zhang, during the first two phases of the framework, a total of 47 agricultural experts were sent to Uganda, utilising $3.55 million from the trust fund donated by China to the FAO.

In the third phase, a budget of $2.39 million has been allocated to directly benefit over 9,600 local farmers, including more than 3,000 women, and to train over 200 Ugandan technical officials. The Ugandan government has also allocated additional funds to support this project.