From precision farming tools to climate-smart machinery, agricultural mechanization is rapidly transforming how food is grown across the Global South. But for millions of smallholder farmers, access to these innovations remains uneven. Bridging this gap was at the heart of a four-part capacity-building and South-South exchange series led by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Delivered under the Global South-South Development Center Phase II (GSSDC II)—a flagship initiative of the China-UN Global South-South Development Facility supported by the Government of China—the series brought together 2,494 cumulative participations from 52 countries and territories between March and April 2026. With 690 unique participants and 588 peak concurrent viewers across sessions, the programme created a dynamic platform for policymakers, practitioners and experts to exchange actionable insights, innovative models and policy approaches to scale sustainable agricultural mechanization, particularly across Africa and other developing regions.
Financing and Investment: Unlocking Capital for Mechanization
The first session, held on 11 March 2026, explored sustainable financing and investment as the foundation for scaling agricultural mechanization. The FAO representative emphasized that mechanization is indispensable to raising smallholder productivity and strengthening food security across the continent.
An expert from Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization shared a holistic approach, combining government subsidies, industrial investment, and targeted overseas cooperation, and noted that China’s agricultural machinery exports to Africa have reached nearly $700 million, supporting local production and service capacity.
Zhengzhou, a major agricultural hub, showcased a multi-channel financing system integrating subsidies, credit, insurance, and social capital, which has attracted 7.4 billion yuan in investment and boosted mechanization across the value chain.
African countries presented homegrown solutions. Zambia reported the establishment of 85 government-run mechanization service centers—with 40 more planned with African Development Bank support—paired with digital tractor tracking to improve efficiency. Nigeria shifted from individual ownership to service-based models, distributing 2,000 tractors and deploying IoT monitoring to enhance maintenance and accountability. Participants also discussed electric tractors, drone regulation, and affordable financing for cash-constrained smallholders.
Service Supply Models: Building Inclusive, Efficient Mechanization Ecosystems
On 25 March 2026, the series focused on scalable mechanization service supply models, a key to overcoming low machinery utilization and unequal access.
A professor from Hunan Agricultural University outlined seven proven models, including individual ownership, joint-sharing cooperatives, market leasing, digital platforms, and public-private partnerships (PPPs), noting that no single model fits all contexts. China’s provincial and municipal practices offered replicable blueprints. Hunan Hengyang demonstrated machinery sharing for mountainous areas, boosting human-machine collaboration coverage to over 80%. Nanjing Liuhe district’s digital service platform connected farmers and operators, achieving a 96.65% mechanization rate and cutting planting costs.
African partners highlighted progress in institutionalizing services. Zimbabwe launched a Mechanization Development Alliance with flexible financing facilities. Ghana rolled out Agricultural Mechanization Service Enterprise Centers, and plans 50 one-stop farm service hubs under its Feed Ghana program, integrating seeds, fertilizers, and mechanization via PPPs. These models reduced barriers for smallholders while creating local jobs and sustainable enterprises.
Climate-Smart Intelligent Mechanization: Technology for Resilience
The 8 April 2026 session spotlighted climate-smart and intelligent mechanization—a game-changer for regions facing erratic rainfall, soil degradation, and limited energy access.
In his lecture, an expert from Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences presented breakthroughs in electric and hybrid tractors, autonomous driving systems, agricultural robots, and precision irrigation powered by solar energy. He introduced compact, electric, and photovoltaic-compatible machinery tailored for Africa’s farmlands and infrastructure.
Shandong’s Pingdu city deployed Beidou navigation-assisted driving, agricultural drones, and satellite land leveling to boost efficiency and cut resource waste.
According to a panelist from Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, China’s precision irrigation projects in Central Asia achieved 30% water savings and over 20% yield increases, offering a model for water-scarce African regions.
Botswana and Senegal shared on-the-ground realities. Botswana, with some 6,744 tractors nationwide, faces gaps in local repair capacity and equipment quality assurance. Senegal, with only about five tractors per 1,000 farmers, is advancing service-oriented mechanization through digital platforms and PPPs to build climate resilience and raise smallholder incomes.
Policy and Regulatory Frameworks: Enabling Sustainable Growth
The series concluded on 22 April 2026 with a deep dive into policy and regulatory frameworks—the institutional backbone of long-term mechanization success.
A professor from Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization traced China’s four-decade policy evolution, from state-led construction to market-driven modernization.
China’s toolkit includes purchase subsidies, operational subsidies, scrap-and-update incentives, tax breaks, export tax rebates, and strict safety regulations under the Agricultural Machinery Safety Supervision Regulation. By 2025, China’s comprehensive mechanization rate for crop planting, harvesting, and processing reached 75.5%.
African countries outlined their policy pathways. Somalia aims to build a climate-resilient, market-led mechanization system led by the private sector. Kenya targets raising mechanization from 30% to 50% by 2030 through mechanization hubs and public-private collaboration. Cameroon focuses on institutional support, technology transfer, and policy incentives to expand equitable access.
Jiangsu and Hebei provinces of China shared subnational regulatory and support systems, emphasizing integrated R&D, extension, and service networks. Regional representatives from ESCAP-CASM and FAO underscored that mechanization is a systemic endeavor requiring coherent policy, strong institutions, and sustained South-South collaboration.
The series reaffirmed that South-South cooperation is a powerful vehicle for transferring context-appropriate knowledge, technology, and investment. By combining large-scale mechanization experience with grassroots innovation, participants built a shared roadmap to transform smallholder agriculture, create decent jobs, and advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
About GSSDC Phase II:
The Global South-South Development Center (GSSDC) is a flagship initiative of the UNOSSC, funded by the Government of China, under the framework of the UN Fund for South-South Cooperation (UNFSSC). It was launched in 2009 in partnership with the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE).
GSSDC Phase I was co-initiated in 2019 by UNOSSC and the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), and funded by the Government of China, the GSSDC has delivered capacity-building, policy advocacy, and knowledge exchange for developing countries.
GSSDC Phase II (2024–2030) will expand both thematically and geographically, prioritizing: agriculture and rural transformation, green and resilient development, new industrialization, cultural and creative economy. Phase II seeks to leverage the technical expertise and resources of the China South-South Cooperation Network (CSSCN) to advance practical and technological cooperation, capacity development, knowledge exchange and network-building, while promoting South-South and triangular cooperation among cities and sub-national entities globally.
