BEIJING: Xi’an, Shaanxi province-based infrastructure project provider China Railway 20th Bureau Group Corp, or CR20G, will become an agricultural industry chain builder in markets involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during China’s 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), according to an executive.

       In addition to building railroads, schools and water-conservancy projects, CR20G, a subsidiary of state-owned China Railway Construction Corp Ltd, has helped farmers in its markets in Mozambique and other African nations achieve stable and high yields by introducing China’s practical agricultural technologies, conducting related services and applying modern machinery to assist them in ensuring grain security.

       Supported by the China-Africa Development Fund, CR20G built a rice processing plant in Xai-Xai, capital of Gaza province in Mozambique, in 2017. The company has been running this project, which is also China’s largest rice planting project in Africa, for more than four years.

       By the end of June this year, the project completed the harvesting of rice for the 2020-21 planting season, with a harvested area of 2,400ha and 16,600 tonnes of rice. All of the rice from the harvest has been sold in local markets, said Guo Wei, CR20G’s country head for Mozambique.

       Backed by China’s mature rice-planting methods and modern agricultural machinery in local areas, CR20G has been providing technical guidance and services to local farmers to effectively increase their income and ensure local food security.

       Besides generating a total of 14,000 jobs for local residents in the areas of farming, transportation and rice processing businesses to date, the project led more than 500 cooperative growers to carry out rice planting work. The grain yield has increased tremendously.

       To promote sustainable growth of this project, Guo said the company will constantly seek innovative measures, including introducing drones for field management, building modern agriculture and gradually extending the industrial chain in Mozambique in the coming years.

       Enabling rice planting, production and processing aside, the executive said the Chinese firm will deploy more resources to develop an entire industry chain that integrates livestock breeding, greenhouse vegetables, liquor brewing, beef processing and other related services to further enrich the local economy.

       “We are confident that we can harness the new growth opportunities presented by many countries’ plans to build modern agricultural projects, as well as regional transportation and service hubs, upgrade their urbanisation and modernise their economies for scale and sustainable growth,” Guo said.

       Such countries have already seen years of infrastructure development under the BRI framework, he added.

       Supported by over 18,400 employees, CR20G is engaged in the design and construction of transportation infrastructure.

       Its business scope is wide-ranging and includes real estate development, industrial manufacturing, logistics and trade, railway transportation, environmental protection, engineering project inspection, design consulting, education and training. — China Daily/ANN