Advising farmers

Nitiema Koudbi, leader of a farmers association in Nariou, has been tending to his rice field with advice from Chinese experts since 2021.

"My Chinese teachers are not only familiar with the crop calendar but also add to the farmers knowledge, methods, technology and production resources when needed the most," Koudbi said.

Gaoussou Sanou, the national technical secretary of the Presidential Initiative for the Development of Rice Cultivation, an initiative that aims to increase the African nation's rice production to 1 million tons, appreciated the contribution of the Chinese experts. He added that with the help of the experts, the yield at the rice fields under the pilot project doubled in 2021, and the farming skills of local farmers have also been enhanced.

"The contribution of China has been considerable for the development of Burkina Faso, and the effects are perceptible in a tangible manner," Sanou said.

With the help of Chinese experts, the nation has not only developed the best water conservancy facilities but also achieved its most substantial increase in rice production in history, he added.