WINDHOEK, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The second phase of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Project in Namibia has delivered measurable gains in agricultural skills development, technology transfer and capacity building, a senior Namibian government official said Friday.
The project, jointly implemented by the Namibian government and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, deploys Chinese agricultural experts to provide technical assistance, practical training and knowledge transfer to government technicians and local farmers.
Acting Executive Director of Namibia's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Petrus-Canisius Nangolo made the remarks at a ceremony marking the arrival of five new Chinese experts and the departure of four others who had completed their assignments.
"The project has already produced encouraging and measurable results," Nangolo said, noting that training and field demonstrations had strengthened the capacity of agricultural extension officers and farmers.
The project covers aquaculture, horticulture, livestock and poultry production, plant health, seed production, soil fertility management, fisheries development, vocational training and agricultural value chains.
FAO Assistant Representative Ferdinand Mwapopi said Namibia's agricultural sector remains vulnerable to recurring droughts, erratic rainfall and poor soils, making climate-resilient farming techniques and improved production methods increasingly important.
He said Chinese experts had helped transfer practical knowledge and skills to local technicians and farmers.
The second phase is implemented under a 1.74-million-U.S.-dollar trust fund agreement between China and the FAO.
China has contributed 14 agricultural experts and technicians to the project.
Of the first eight deployed in 2024, four are returning to China after completing their assignments, while four will remain in Namibia for an additional three months, and five new experts have now joined the project.
The first phase ran from April 2015 to February 2017 under a tripartite agreement among Namibia, China and the FAO, with funding of about 1.5 million U.S. dollars. ■