- Title: IVORY COAST: CHINESE EXPERTS FROM TAIWAN ADVISE ON RICE CULTIVATION.
- Date: 25th March 1970
- Summary: 1. LV YAMOUSSOUKRO 0.05 2. GV PAN LAND TO BE CLEARED 0.16 3. LV ZOOM TO SV BULLDOZER CLEARING LAND 0.24 4. LV TAIWAN ADVISERS LOOK ON 0.29 5. SV&GV TRACTOR PLOUGHING LAND 0.40 6. SV&CU TAIWAN ADVISER INSPECTS SOIL 0.46 7. GV&SV BULLDOZER FLATTENING LAND 0.56 8. CU IRRIGATION CANAL TILT UP TO GV PADDY FIELDS 1.01 9. GV&SV TRACTOR IN PADDY FIELDS 1.15 10. CU&GV IVORIANS PLANTING RICE 1.23 11. CU&SV IVORIAN SPRAYING PADDY FIELD WITH INSECTICIDE 1.33 12. CU ZOOM OUT TO GV RICE CROP BEING GATHERED AND BEING FED INTO THRESHING MACHINE (2 SHOTS) 1.44 13. SV TAIWAN ADVISERS 1.48 14. CU&SCU IVORIAN AND TAIWANESE INSPECT RICE 1.52 15. LV SV&CU INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER WITH TAIWAN ADVISER ABOARD AT WORK (4 SHOTS) 2.11 16. GV&SV WORK GOING ON IN VEGETABLE FIELDS (4 SHOTS) 2.25 17. LV ZOOM OUT TO GV AREA SURROUNDING YAMOUSSOUKRO 2.30 Initials EH/V/BOB/MH Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th April 1970 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: YAMOUSSOUKRO, IVORY COAST
- Country: Ivory Coast
- Reuters ID: LVA29WZQ01L0KLRFW216QXD822NR
- Story Text: PRESIDENT FELIX HOUPHOUET BOIGNY IS ONE OF MANY IVORY COAST LAND-OWNERS BENEFITTING FROM AN AGREEMENT WITH TAIWAN UNDER WHICH CHINESE EXPERTS ORGANISE AND SUPERVISE THE CULTIVATION OF PADDY RICE ON AN EVER-INCREASING SCALE.
ON THE PRESIDENT'S HOLDING ALONE - NEAR HIS NATIVE TOWN OF YAMOUSSOUKRO - THE AREA COVERED BY PADDY RICE FIELDS HAS EXPANDED FROM JUST UNDER 200 ACRES (80HECTARES) TO 880 ACRES (350HECTARES) IN SIX MONTHS OF CO-OPERATION WITH THE CHINESE.
UNDER AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN TAIWAN AND THE IVORY COAST COVERING AGRICULTURAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, THE TAIWAN GOVERNMENT MAINTAINS A MISSION OF 160 EXPERTS AT AN ANNUAL COST OF 350,000 POUNDS; THEY COME OVER ON TWO-YEAR CONTRACTS AND ARE HIGHLY PAID. THE IVORY COAST SUPPLIES THE LAND, LOCAL LABOUR, AND HOUSING, FUEL AND TRANSPORT FOR THE TAIWAN EXPERTS. THE IVORY COAST GOVERNMENT PREPARED THE LAND WITH ITS OWN BULLDOZERS AND TRACTORS AND SENT IN ITS OWN INTERNATIONAL HARVESTERS TO GATHER THE CROPS.
RICE PLANTATIONS ARE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND SOME OF THE OWNERS ARE GOVERNMENT LEADERS, BUT MOST ARE ORDINARY FARMERS. EACH PLANTATION HAS ONE CHINESE AGRICULTURAL EXPERT ATTACHED TO IT.
THE IVORY COAST PRODUCES TWO AND A HALF RICE CROPS ANNUALLY. IRRIGATION AND AN IDEAL CLIMATE ALLOW PLANTING TO BE TIMED FOR A CONTINUOUS ROUND-THE-YEAR CYCLE OF HARVESTING. YIELDS ARE ABOUT ONE FIFTH HIGHER THAN IN TAIWAN. IN 1963, THE IVORY COAST IMPORTED A QUARTER MILLION TONS OF RICE, - LAST YEAR ONLY 40,000 TONS WERE IMPORTED. RICE IS POPULAR AS A STABLE, LONG TERM INVESTMENT AND IS A GOOD EARNER AMONG INDIGENOUS PRODUCTS.
THE CHINESE ADVISERS ARE ALSO HELPING VEGETABLE GROWERS TO INCREASE THEIR YIELD. HERE AGAIN, SOIL AND CLIMATE ARE FAVOURABLE AND THE DEMAND FOR VEGETABLES IN THE TOWNS CAN AT PRESENT ONLY MET BY IMPORTS FROM ABROAD.
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