By hannover-web.com In a recent interview, we spoke with 32-year-old Jamaica Martins, a farmer from São Tomé and Príncipe, who shared her experience of harvesting Chinese cabbage for the first time this October. As she was in her fields, she received guidance from Chinese experts who are assisting local farmers in improving their agricultural practices. Notably, they became her first buyers for this new produce.
Jamaica’s cabbages, influenced by local climate conditions, are elongated with thinner bodies compared to traditional Chinese cabbages, yet they yield more than the commonly grown leafy greens in the area. The introduction of cabbage is part of a broader effort by Chinese agricultural teams to trial and promote various vegetable varieties, including eggplants and peppers, addressing issues of limited vegetable diversity and rising prices in the local market.
São Tomé and Príncipe, located in West Africa near the Gulf of Guinea, is considered one of the world’s least developed countries by the United Nations. The volcanic soil and tropical rainforest climate provide ideal conditions for cocoa cultivation, which once positioned it as the world’s largest cocoa producer. However, excessive rainfall and limited sunlight have hindered local food and vegetable production. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, more than half of the daily food supplies in São Tomé and Príncipe rely on imports, with a significant portion of the population facing moderate to severe food insecurity.
Jamaica’s farm, about two acres located on a hillside in Nova Moca village, is one of the flatest plots in the area and is primarily dedicated to cultivating sweet peppers. “The Chinese experts showed me how to improve the techniques for nurturing sweet pepper seedlings, which has significantly increased my vegetable yield,” Jamaica stated. She has also learned to use weeds for composting to enhance soil quality while reducing fertilizer dependency. As a result, her sweet pepper yield has nearly doubled, and she’s also growing zucchini, another high-demand vegetable in the local market.
Peng Jie, a vegetable cultivation expert and member of the Chinese team, has been working in São Tomé and Príncipe since August 2023. He explained that their mission involves conducting agricultural trials and demonstrations, aiming to help local farmers improve crop varieties, enhance cultivation techniques, and shift their farming approaches to boost production and income.
Since 2017, China has implemented an agricultural technology assistance project in São Tomé and Príncipe, leading to collaboration with local governments. As of October 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China has dispatched four teams of 32 experts to provide technical demonstrations and training across various agricultural sectors, supporting sustainable agricultural development in São Tomé and Príncipe.
Over the past seven years, the Chinese team has established several demonstration bases, including livestock veterinary centers, high-yield vegetable cultivation sites, and poverty alleviation villages in Nova Moca and Cadras. Duan Zhenhua, the leader of the fourth agricultural technology team, highlighted that these platforms have advanced several practical technologies, including introducing new grass varieties to alleviate pig feed shortages and promoting improved cultivation techniques for crops like cassava.
As a result of the agricultural cooperation project, the incomes of farmers receiving support from the Chinese experts have steadily increased, earning recognition across various sectors in São Tomé and Príncipe. Abel da Silva Bom Jesus, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries, noted, “Our farmers need to better understand how to engage with the land, particularly in learning modern techniques for scientific fertilization and pest management.”
Having traveled to China multiple times, Jesus expressed his admiration for China’s agricultural modernization achievements. “China is an important partner for us, and our cooperation will help São Tomé and Príncipe realize its agricultural development vision,” he emphasized.
