Namibia's agricultural and fisheries sectors have benefited from technical training and knowledge exchange through the Namibian and Chinese governments and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) training.
The China-FAO-Namibia Agricultural and Fisheries South-South Cooperation Project, Phase II, started in September 2024 and will run until December this year.
The project reached 2,351 participants through 79 training events and engaged a further 1,022 people through 32 demonstration activities.
Funded at $1.7 million, the initiative deployed 14 Chinese experts and technicians.
Activities were carried out at six stations in Ongwediva, Windhoek, Rundu, Tsumis, Keetmanshoop and Omahenene, building on the first phase, which ran from 2015 to 2018.
FAO Namibia Officer-in-Charge Ferdinand Mwapopi said the South-South Cooperation plays an important role in transferring agricultural knowledge, skills and resources between countries to address hunger and promote sustainable food systems.
"The project has strengthened technical capacity across six fields - plant health, seed production, poultry production, animal husbandry, soil fertility and aquaculture; and the statistics we are pleased to share today demonstrate the scale and reach of these results."
Through the project, Chinese experts shared cost-effective farming technologies suited to local conditions, methods to improve soil health and approaches to agricultural diversification.
Representing the Chinese Embassy, Wei Jinming said the experts had worked hard to deliver encouraging results.
"Through their dedication, expertise and hands-on approach, they have made a real contribution to Namibia's agricultural development. Their work has also helped strengthen agriculture cooperation between China and Namibia and deepen the friendship between our peoples."
The Chinese Embassy, he added, would continue to serve as a bridge between the two countries.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Ruthy Masake explained that the project was designed to address key challenges in agriculture and fisheries.
"Together, let us continue transforming friendship into cooperation, cooperation into practical action, and practical action into sustainable development and prosperity for our people."
Masake said women accounted for 51.3% of participants, while the youth made up 33.6%. Farmers represented 79% of those reached.