The Chinese government has announced plans to establish a bamboo training and plantation project in Uganda. According to the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, H.E Zhang Lizhong, Chinese bamboo experts will soon be coming to Uganda to facilitate this initiative.
He made this announcement at the launch of the China-Africa Centre of Excellence at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCCRI) in Namulonge on October 22, 2024. Additionally, Ambassador Zhang revealed that demonstration centers will be set up to help farmers begin benefiting from the project.
“We are going to send about 9 agricultural experts to Uganda soon to train the farmers to grow the bamboo in Uganda. Uganda has already allocated land for this plantation,” Zhang said.
The China-Africa Centre of Excellence for livestock, crops, and fisheries will focus on perennial rice, a variety that allows farmers to harvest multiple times from a single planting. This variety is expected to increase productivity, reduce labor-intensive tasks, and ensure sustainable food security, transformation, and nutrition for the people of Uganda, the region, and the world.
The project is a collaboration between the National Agricultural Research Organization and BGI Group, a Chinese company specializing in genetics research.
