Chinese Government provides $30 million grant for Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center Project (Linked to Project ID#20463)

On 1 July, 2008, the Chinese Government and the Government of Zimbabwe signed a protocol agreement related to an Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center Project (See: 驻津巴布韦大使袁南生代表中国政府签署关于援津农业技术示范中心议定书). Then, on 19 April, 2009, the Chinese Government and the Government of Zimbabwe signed an $30 million USD grant agreement to support this project (See: Effective Support for Agricultural Development). The purpose of this project was to establish an Agricultural Technological Demonstration Center (ATDC) at Gwebi Agricultural College, which is located 27 km outside Harare (See: 黄屏大使考察中国援津农业技术示范中心).It was envisaged that the ATDC would focus on, among other activities, pilot demonstration, including the experimental cultivation of nearly 20 kinds of local maize seeds in cooperation with local seed companies, the experimental cultivation of a dozen varieties of potatoes jointly with domestic potato research institutes, and the promotion of diced potato cultivation technology (See: 驻津巴布韦大使袁南生代表中国政府签署关于援津农业技术示范中心议定书). It was also envisaged that the ATDC would be run by the Chinese Government for three years before being handed over to Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Agriculture and absorbed as one of its centers of research excellence (See: 中国援津农业技术示范中心举行开工仪式).MAE Northern Company and the Research Institute of China Agricultural Mechanization were the contractors responsible for project implementation (See: Sino-Africa Agricultural Cooperation Experience Sharing). On 22 October, 2009, a foundation-laying ceremony for the ATDC took place (See: 援津巴布韦农业技术示范中心举行形式开工仪式). On 15 October, 2012, the ATDC was officially inaugurated. The Chinese project title is 中国援津农业技术示范中心 (See: 陈宁参赞调研援津农业技术示范中心). The linked project #20463 captures the dispatch of 10 Chinese experts to train Zimbabwean workers at the Agricultural Technological Demonstration Center (ATDC) at Gwebi Agricultural College.

Additional details

One source identifies the value of the grant commitment as RMB 40 million; however, this is the estimate cost for Chinese-funded agricultural demonstration centers in Africa (See: Chinese agriculture technology demonstration centres in Southern Africa: the new business of development). Another source identifies the value of the grant commitment as RMB 50 million (See: The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa).

Number of official sources

14

Number of unofficial sources

20