Putting Food on the Table
Chinese agricultural experts in Eritrea help train local technicians in the drive toward food self-sufficiency
located in the Horn of Africa, Eritrea is a country where agriculture and livestock form the backbone of the national economy. More than 80 percent of its population is employed in this sector, of which the main crops include maize, barley, sorghum, wheat, beans and groundnuts.
However, in the absence of advanced planting techniques, the shortage of agricultural products has always been and remains a major problem for Eritrea. The annual rate of food self-sufficiency in the country can be as low as 25 percent in bad years.
With the aim of addressing and solving this and other problems, the first Chinese training on agricultural technology in Eritrea was held at the National Agricultural Research Institute on November 29, 2018. A total of 51 officials, experts, researchers and technicians from five regions of Eritrea took part in the training, which was organized at the initiative of the Economic and Trade Office of Chinese Embassy in Eritrea, International Cooperation Service Center of Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture of Eritrea and other institutions.
This event was one of the practical outcomes achieved by China’s high-level agricultural expert group, dispatched to Eritrea earlier this year by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China.
Li Mei came to Eritrea on September 6, 2018, as part of the mission for a 106-day cooperation program. As the leader of this agricultural group, his goal was to help the country achieve the healthy development of its agriculture by cultivating agricultural talents and providing practical advice to local government officials. Li, a 54-yearold corn expert, was originally employed by the Fruit and Vegetable Administration of Yangling District High Technology Agricultural Industry Demonstration Zone in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.
Two other agricultural experts, Luo Zhongping and Li Guofeng, both 53 years old, came with him on this busy mission. All