About 20 minutes from downtown Lilongwe is the China-Malawi Technical Cooperation Farm. It is a partnership between Chinese and local experts whose key objective is to boost the horticulture subsector and make it an engine for economic development by spreading skills and knowledge among young people.

The farm borders the Natural Resources College, a technical institution that is part of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, inaugurated in 2015. The university was accredited after it was integrated with LUANAR's Bunda Campus. Its main mandate is to build capacity in irrigation, agriprocessing, entrepreneurship and climate change adaptation.

The 6.07-hectare site provides hands-on experience to undergraduate students. Executives from the Ministry of Agriculture and some farmers also have access to the facilities.

Enock Lot Mthepheia, the foreman at the China-Malawi Technical Cooperation Farm in Lilongwe. Lucie Morangi/China Daily

The activities here follow Malawi's national strategy of diversifying the agricultural sector, which has been heavily dependent on tobacco for export. According to 2015 government statistics, the subsector contributed about 15 percent of GDP. Although the country has ample arable land, its potential is still undervalued.

Established in 1995 by the government, the farm project welcomed China on board in 2014 when the Asian nation invested $1.2 million for a revamp.

"China has strengthened the project" says Enock Lot Mthepheia, the foreman. "Besides technical assistance, they have installed 24 tanks to boost drip irrigation. We have new hostels and classrooms that can hold 32 students. This is in addition to a testing lab and several greenhouses."

Only 2.02 hectares of the project are under cultivation. It has been sub-divided into 48 plots, with 18 consisting of vegetables, while the rest have fruit tree seedlings such as oranges, bananas, peaches, oriental pears, lychees and persimmons. Most varieties are from China.

"Our objective is to train agricultural staff, farmers and students on new technical skills that make this sub-sector viable. It is our future," says Mthepheia, who joined the project in 2012.

For five years, he has overseen the breeding and multiplication of crops to buoy the subsector and improve nutrition. This is under the guidance of the Chinese experts. Some of the crops that have been successful are apples, persimmons, cassava and sweet potatoes.

He says improved varieties of cassava and sweet potato cuttings are distributed free to farmers. "The new sweet potato variety has yellow flesh and is rich in vitamin A," he says. "We are trying to complement maize, which is affected by witchweed or striga, a parasitic plant that is devastating. The tubers are also drought tolerant," he says.

The Chinese experts have also introduced new vegetables such as cucumbers, Chinese cabbage, carrots, radishes, tomatoes and eggplant. "There are just so many and the reception from local farmers is good," the foreman says.

He adds that students from the college are trained and encouraged to invest in the sector. Agriculture has been starved of technology, and it is hoped the youthful farmers will spur innovation. "We provide extension services to these students when we visit them in their home areas. We learn their challenges and continue with research to provide solutions."

The project also exposes students to the latest irrigation methods. Drip irrigation is preferred at the farm, but the experts are aware of challenges faced by farmers in adopting new methods. High initial costs are prohibitive but, with mounting challenges caused by climate, farming cannot depend on rainfall anymore. "We therefore encourage farmers to continue with furrow and bucket irrigation. It is still effective, simple and cost effective."

However, the project faces a few challenges. First is security. The loss of an irrigation pump paralyzed the farm before China stepped in. Security, according to the foreman, needs to be boosted as the farm contemplates scaling up its activities to make it sustainable.

Mthepheia benefited from training in China in early 2017 and says the demonstration farm plays a significant role in the country's ambition to expand agriculture.

He looks forward to increasing training sessions targeting young people, especially those sponsored by nongovernment organizations. The farm also plans to breed and package seedlings to be supplied for the market. This will reduce the supply of low-quality seeds and boost consistency. In addition, the Chinese-built laboratory tools can be deployed in areas that have experienced low agricultural production attributed to soil acidity. There will also be training in the use of organic fertilizer, discouraging use of artificial ones that are blamed for the deteriorating quality of soil, as well as being more costly.

There are eight Chinese experts at the farm, specializing in agronomy, irrigation infrastructure, vegetables, fruits, extension services and farm mechanization. "Most seedlings are varieties from China, such as sugarcane that is sweet and soft and grows fast. We have introduced the bitter gourd that is healthy and ideal for a hot environment such as Malawi," says Xie Yuan, an agronomist on the farm.

He says Malawians are industrious people and quick to adapt to new techniques. However, he believes Africa's agricultural fortunes depend on strong intervention by governments.

Regulation is needed to deal with unscrupulous traders who sell poorquality seeds while buying produce at reduced prices and selling at exorbitant rates. These profits do not go back to the farmers, he says.

There also is a need to build transportation infrastructure to improve accessibility by farmers to consumers. "Moreover, there is also a need to build warehouses to store produce safely and reduce post-harvest losses, which are significant."

He proposes strengthening marketing strategies to ensure that the produce reaches not only local, but also regional and continental markets.