ChinaproactiveineffortstoraiseAfrica鈥檚agriculturaloutput
ByZhangChuanhongandJiangZhida
ChinahasalwaysattachedgreatimportancetostableandfriendlyrelationswithAfrica.Theirbilateralagriculturalcooperationnowstandsatanewstartingpoint.
OnhisvisittoAfricain2013,PresidentXiJinpingputforththeprinciplesofsincerity,realresults,affinityandgoodfaithtoguideChina-Africarelations.ChinawillcontinuetoupholdtheguidelinesofitsAfricapolicyandworktowardwin-wincooperationwithAfricancountriesforcommondevelopmentwithintheframeworkoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC).
DuringhistriptotheUnitedStatesinSeptember2015,PresidentXiannouncedChinawouldsetupa20-billion-yuan($3.1billion)ChinaSouth-SouthClimateCooperationFundtohelpdevelopingcountriestackleclimatechange.By2020,Chinawillprovidesupportsfor100newpovertyreductionprojects,100agriculturalprojects,100tradeprojects,100projectsonecologicalpreservationandclimatechange,100newhospitalsandclinics,and100schoolsandvocationaltrainingcentersindevelopingcountries.PovertyalleviationwillbeamajorpartofChina鈥檚post2015agenda.
ItindicatesChinawillcontinuehelpingAfricadevelopitsruralareasandagriculture,eradicatepoverty,andsupportAfrica鈥檚development.
Africancountrieshavebeenpayingmoreattentiontoagriculturaldevelopmentasthecontinententeredaperiodoffastgrowthwithanaverageannualrateof5.5percent.Africaistheworld鈥檚secondfastestgrowingeconomicregion.AgriculturewashighontheprioritylistofthefoundersoftheNewPartnershipforAfrica鈥檚Development(NEPAD),aneconomicdevelopmentprogramoftheAfricanUnion(AU).
TheComprehensiveAfricaAgricultureDevelopmentProgram,establishedaspartoftheNEPADin2003,hasanagriculturalgrowthtargetof6percentandrequiresmembercountriestoallocateatleast10percentoftheirnationalbudgettotheagriculturalsector.
TheAU鈥檚programsinAgenda2063,itsblueprintforAfrica鈥檚development,arealsoveryclear:todiversifyeconomiesandindustrialize;haveaskillsandentrepreneurshiprevolution;unleashthecreativityofyouth;andtransformagriculture.
Againstthisbackground,anincreasingnumberofAfricancountrieshavesteppedupinvestmentinagricultureintermsofruralinfrastructure,irrigation,introducingqualityseeds,andpromotingmechanizedfarmingforagriculturaldiversification.Theyhaveimplementedagriculturalreforms,increasingfoodproductionandincomes.Aseriesofpolicieshasbeenformulated,suchastaxincentivesforimportingagriculturalequipment.
ThelatestreportbytheStandardCharteredBanksaysAfricawouldneedabout$100billionannuallyforinfrastructureconstruction,butgovernmentscanprovideonly$53billion.Onthecontinent,only33percentoftheruralpopulationhasaccesstopavedroads,andonly5percentofrurallandcomesunderirrigation.Poorinfrastructurehindersthecontinent鈥檚tradegrowth.
In2014,Chinadecidedtoprovideanadditional$10-billioncreditlinetoAfricancountriesformutuallyagreed-uponinfrastructureprojects,raisingthetotalamountofpromisedcreditto$30billion.ChinaalsoworkedwiththeAfricanDevelopmentBanktoestablishajointfinancingfundandbuildatrilateralcooperationplatformforAfrica鈥檚infrastructuraldevelopment,includingregionalaviationandhigh-speedrailwaynetworks.
ChinawillraiseitsdirectinvestmentinAfricato$100billionby2020.Infrastructureconstructionisoneofthekeyareasofbilateralcooperation.
China-AfricacooperationininfrastructureandconnectivityhasreducedthebottlenecksinAfrica鈥檚agriculturaldevelopment.China-Africaagriculturalcooperationcanusherinagoldenperiodofgrowth.Therefore,itisnecessarytodeepenbilateralagriculturalcooperationandexpandinvestmentinAfrica鈥檚agriculturalsector.
Bilateralagriculturalcooperationisexpectedtooptimizetheagro-industrialchain.Itincludesinvestmentinagriculturalproductionandprocessing,warehousingandlogistics.Africancountriesalsoneedtoimprovetheirsoftinfrastructure-policystability,degreeofmarketliberalizationandpreferentialtaxpolicies.
ChinahasmadeproactiveeffortstohelpAfricancountriesraisetheiragriculturalproductivity.Ithasestablishedagriculturaltechnologydemonstrationcentersandissendingagriculturalexpertsandtechnicianstoprovideconsultations.Chinaisalsotrainingtechnicalandmanagerialpersonnel.ThoughtheinitiativehasbeenwelcomedbyAfricancountries,howtokeepthedemonstrationcentersrunningsmoothlyaftertheprojectcontractsendisaproblem.
Therefore,thereshouldbevolunteeringprogramsrunbythegovernmentorNGOs.TheprogramswouldsendChineseagriculturaltechniciansabroadtohelplocalfarmerssolvetechnologicalproblems.TheChinesetechnicians,whowouldbeencouragedtobebasedinAfrica,wouldcontributetolocalagriculturaldevelopment.Someagriculturalprojectscouldbegintooperateinamoremarket-orientedway.
Sino-Africanagriculturalcooperationshouldpaymoreattentiontolocalization.Formanyyears,Chinahasassistedintheconstructionoflocalroads,waterconservancyandirrigationprojectsandotheragri-culturalinfrastructure.ThishasplayedanimportantroleinimprovingAfricanagriculturalproductioncapacity.
However,someChinesecompanieshavecomeundercriticismfornotbetterfulfillingtheirsocialresponsibilitiesinAfrica.SomeChineseagriculturalenterprisesfollowChinesemanagementpractices.Ontheotherhand,mostAfricancountriesfixtheirminimumwageandnormalworkinghoursaccordingtotheirownlaborlaws.So,culturaldifferencesoftentriggerlabordisputes.
However,withChina-Africacooperationininfrastructureandindustryinfullswing,Chineseagriculturalenterprisesareexpandingtheirglobalbusiness,andtherebyacceleratingtheirinternationalization.Chinawillfurtherlocalizeitsagro-industrialchainintermsofpersonnel,rawmaterials,markets,andtechnologyresearchanddevelopmenttobetterhelpeconomictransformationandrevitalizationinAfrica.
(ZhangChuanhongisanassociateprofessoratChinaAgriculturalUniversity;JiangZhidaisanassociateresearchfellowatChinaInstituteofInternationalStudies)