Bongani Ndlovu
Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Zhou Ding at the Completion Ceremony for the 4th-phase of Chinese Agricultural Experts Technical Assistance Project
(Harare, 17 September 2026)
Good morning (Mangwanani)!
It is a great pleasure to join you today at the completion ceremony of the 4th-phase Chinese Senior Agricultural Experts Technical Assistance Project. I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to all members of the 4th-phase Chinese Senior Agricultural Expert Group, who are about to receive well-deserved honours from the Government of Zimbabwe. I also express my sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, as well as all relevant institutions and partners, for your long-standing support for this project.
Having just viewed the retrospective video covering the expert group’s three-year assignment, we have seen first-hand their dedication, fruitful work and outstanding achievements over their tenure.
Since their arrival in September 2023, the experts have travelled extensively across the country. They established two demonstration villages for agricultural cooperation and poverty reduction in Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central Provinces. To ensure the long-term, sustainable functioning of these demonstration villages, the team supported the setting-up of local Farmers Clubs to handle day-to-day management.
Across the country, the team provided targeted technical guidance and hands-on training at demonstration villages, agricultural colleges, livestock farms and commercial farms. Thanks to their hard work and expertise, local farming practices have been significantly improved, and crop yields have risen steadily.
It is exactly these tangible, practical achievements that have won the team high-level official honours from the Government of Zimbabwe. These awards stand as the highest recognition of the experts’ outstanding contributions to Zimbabwe’s agricultural development and to our bilateral friendship and cooperation.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,
The Chinese agricultural expert technical assistance project is an icon of China-Zimbabwe agricultural cooperation. Since the establishment of our diplomatic ties, our bilateral agricultural cooperation has grown into a comprehensive partnership spanning four key areas.
First, China supports Zimbabwe’s agricultural infrastructure. We built the Valley Dam and irrigation projects and drilled 1,300 boreholes nationwide. We will upgrade nine irrigation facilities in six provinces through Chinese government grant.
Second, Chinese enterprises actively invest and trade in Zimbabwe’s agriculture. Tian Ze Tobacco Company has operated tobacco contract-farming programmes for 20 years, exporting around USD 800 million-worth of tobacco to China annually. China is Zimbabwe’s largest tobacco buyer, importing half of Zimbabwe’s total tobacco output. We also import macadamia nuts, cotton, leather, citrus fruit and blueberries, boosting incomes for local farmers.
Third, China brings innovative agricultural technologies to Zimbabwe. The Juncao Technology Assistance Project, rolled out across nine provinces, has helped ease local shortages of animal forage. The China-Zimbabwe Belt and Road Joint Laboratory for Agricultural Ecology and Cash Crops works to safeguard local agro-ecology and boost crop productivity.
Fourth, China assists Zimbabwe to safeguard food security. Over the past 20 years, China has provided 13 batches of food assistance. Most recently, we supplied 10,000 tonnes of wheat and rice to mitigate the impacts of the 2024 El Niño-driven drought. Partnered with FAO, we are implementing the Sustainable Soil Management Project and the National Water Roadmap Project to boost land productivity and improve water-resource governance.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,
As H.E. President E.D. Mnangagwa has observed, “Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economy.” This highlights how critical the sector is to Zimbabwe’s economic and social development.
In 2023, H.E. President Xi Jinping put forward the China Initiative for Advancing African Agricultural Modernization. Then at the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit, he announced the Partnership
Action for Agriculture and Livelihoods, injecting fresh momentum into China-Africa agricultural cooperation. Against this encouraging backdrop, our agricultural partnership has enormous untapped potential.
Moving ahead, China’s zero-tariff treatment for African products will create broader market access for Zimbabwe’s agricultural goods. We will scale-up investment in agricultural value chains and explore innovative cooperation modalities. China will dispatch a new team of senior agricultural experts to carry out the 5th-phase technical assistance project.
Finally, I look forward to even greater progress in China-Zimbabwe agricultural cooperation. And I wish all the honoured experts the very best for the future.
Thank you. Tatenda.
Online Reporter