China begins seventh phase of agricultural technical assistance project to Togo (Linked to Project ID#87719)

In July 2020 , China provided the seventh agricultural technical assistance project team to Togo. The team established a technical exchange group in the Kara region of Togo through the social media platform WhatsApp. This exchange group will be used to exchange experience on rice, corn cultivation, and pest control. The group will also guide local farmers in agricultural production. The project team originally intended to have on-site technical guidance, but due to the pandemic, they were forced to do online consultation. There are 22 members in the group, including eight local technicians from the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, eight technical extension staff, and six farmers. Each multi-party technician in the exchange group is responsible for 5-10 farmers. As of July 29th, 2020, the project team tested and demonstrated hybrid rice planting in the Kara area, and the yield increased by as much as 60%. The successful experiment and demonstration of dry season rice planting by Chinese experts has led to the Togolese government successively introducing a series of measures to develop agriculture, intending to promote the results of the project on a larger scale. On April 21, 2020, Bei Leiyi, the director of the Kara Agriculture Bureau, led the deputy director of the Agriculture Bureau and related technical personnel to visit the red tide rice demonstration base. The technical assistance project will allow Togo to plant rice during the dry season, therefore boosting agricultural output. The Agricultural Technology Group also planted hybrid corn, which contains disease resistance, lodging resistance, and suitability for mechanical operation. As revealed by an interview with Togo News on November 5, 2020, the locally promoted varieties of corn and rice increased production by more than 30%. This is the seventh phase of agricultural technical assistance provided to Togo by the Chinese government. Details on the sixth phase of assistance is found in Project ID#87719.

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