STORY: Cassava crops reflect growing agricultural cooperation between China, Africa
SHOOTING TIME: Nov.13-16 2023 and file
DATELINE: Nov. 19, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:54
LOCATION: SANYA, China/Brazzaville
CATEGORY: AGRICULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the second Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Agriculture held in south China's Sanya
2. various of experiment on cassava crops
3. various of an agriculture demonstration center in the Republic of the Congo
4. SOUNDBITE 1 (French): PAUL VALENTIN NGOBO, Congolese Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
5. various of an agriculture demonstration center in the Republic of the Congo
6. various of African officials visiting agricultural bases in Sanya
7. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): EVELYNE HEYI AVAGALA, Director, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kenya
8. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): GRETELLE ISAAC, Principal Lands Officer, Agriculture Department, Seychelles
9. various of agricultural bases in Sanya

STORYLINE:

Chinese agronomists said they plan to boost the cultivation of better-quality cassava varieties in Africa, which relies on the starchy tubers as a major source of food.

The plan was announced to warm applause at the second Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Agriculture, which concluded on Wednesday in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province.

Starch-rich cassava provides food for more than 200 million people in Africa and is an important food security crop for the continent long plagued by hunger and malnutrition.

In an agriculture demonstration center in the Republic of the Congo, batches of peeled cassava are made into flour and packaged, after automatic cleaning, peeling, slicing, grinding and drying.

The introduction of the cassava flour production line from China greatly improved the processing efficiency.

SOUNDBITE 1 (French): PAUL VALENTIN NGOBO, Congolese Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
"Providing cassava means income for farmers. China is a reliable and credible partner for us. As the example of the processing plant for cassava flour shows, people who are pragmatic and offer something very important to us, are seen as reliable for us."

Cassava is just an epitome of growing agricultural cooperation between China and Africa. 

Participants of the forum said technological transfer from China will empower Africa in its battle with hunger and poverty.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): EVELYNE HEYI AVAGALA, Director, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kenya
"We would like to cooperate and work together. We know you (China) are very good in (hybrid) rice. We would like to reduce our import of rice."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): GRETELLE ISAAC, Principal Lands Officer, Agriculture Department, Seychelles
"You (China) use a lot of technologies in agriculture, especially greenhouse technology, innovative irrigation technology. So it's very impressive. So we want to continue this relationship and learn more about how we can use technology to improve our agriculture sector."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Sanya, China/Brazzaville.
(XHTV)