Phokele Maponya, professor and Head of the Community of Practice for Agricultural and Rural Development at the BRICS Research Institute, explains how Russian technologies can help African farmers increase production

A joint project between Russia and African countries in agriculture could stimulate the development of domestic production on the continent. This was stated by Phokele Maponya, professor and Head of the Community of Practice for Agricultural and Rural Development at the BRICS Research Institute in South Africa, in an exclusive interview for BRICSdialogue.

Maphonya identified the use of weather monitoring systems and early-warning technologies as one of the important areas of cooperation. These tools help farmers track climate changes, assess potential risks and plan agricultural activities.

“The main challenge facing Africa today is climate change. That is why we need climate-monitoring services that are accessible to farmers, so that changes in the weather do not catch them by surprise and they can grow crops while minimising risks,” Maponya explained.

He noted that irrigation systems are also needed.

“Most farmers still depend on rainfall and rain-fed agriculture. So when there is no rainfall, alternative solutions are required. But what can we use? How can we build more dams? How can we develop water infrastructure and introduce effective resource-management technologies? […] This is precisely something we should learn from Russia,” the expert said.

The expert also spoke about the importance of developing modern infrastructure for storing and transporting agricultural products. According to him, modern storage facilities and transport systems are essential for delivering crops to domestic markets and expanding exports.

African Times published this article in partnership with International Media Network TV BRICS