South Africa China Agriculture
Metadata
- South Africa China Agriculture
- August 1, 2024
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: SOUTH AFRICA CHINA AGRICULTURE TV HEADLINE: China, trying to address trade deficit, moves to boost agriculture imports from Africa TEASER: The first batch of South African avocados will soon be headed to China. PUBLISHED AT: 8/1/24, 1:18 pm BYLINE: Kate Bartlett CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: Johannesburg VIDEOGRAPHER: Zaheer Cassim VIDEO EDITOR: Zaheer Cassim SCRIPT EDITORS: Bill Ide, DLJ VIDEO SOURCES: VOA Original PLATFORMS: WEB _ TV _X_ RADIO _X_ TRT: 3:19 VID APPROVED BY: Baragona TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR NOTES:)) ((INTRO)) [[China is expanding its imports of semi-processed agriculture from Africa in an effort to address a trade imbalance and also as a way of diversifying global food chains amid geo-political tensions. Kate Bartlett visits South Africa’s rural Limpopo province where avocado farmers are getting ready to export their products to the Chinese market for the first time.]] ((VIDEO-VOA: Workers harvesting avocados on farm, close-ups of hands picking fruit, people climbing trees, women with bags to weigh)) ((NARRATOR)) This fruit is so valuable it’s been dubbed “green gold.” ((nat pops of picking…)) …and it’s destined for China. ((Derek Donkin, CEO South African Subtropical Growers’ Association) ((ENGLISH, MALE)) (SOT 1)) “At the end of the BRICS Summit last year the deal was signed to export avocados to China, so we now have access to China, but there’s been a big process in between to meet all the requirements of the protocol that was agreed to and we’re very close now to being able to send the first shipment to China.” ((VIDEO-VOA: Set up shots of Donkin // Factory shots, close-ups and wides of avos being processed)) ((NARRATOR)) Derek Donkin is the CEO of a South African fruit growers association and has been working with Chinese inspectors to open so-called “green lanes” to get avocado exports off the ground. China has long been the African continent’s biggest trade partner, but the Asian giant exports some 60 billion dollars more in goods to Africa each year than it imports. In South Africa’s case, China exported $11 billion more than it imported in 2022, the most recent year for which figures are available. ((Derek Donkin, CEO South African Subtropical Growers’ Association) ((ENGLISH, MALE) (SOT 2)) “There’s been a strong impetus from the Chinese as well to make sure this deal happens, because they’re aware of the trade imbalance and that they need to be taking more exports from South Africa.” ((NARRATOR)) ((Footage of stalls, signage at the AGOA summit in Johannesburg 2023)) ((Narration)) South Africa also exports its agricultural produce to the EU and U.S., which are its third and fourth largest markets respectively, behind the African continent and China. ((https://agbiz.co.za/content/open/26-february-2024-sa-agri-market-viewpoint-691)) Many of South Africa's agricultural products benefit from tariff-free access to the U.S. market under Washington's African Growth and Opportunity Act. https://agoa.info/profiles/south-africa.html / https://agoa.info/data/sector-data-agriculture.html ((VIDEO-VOA: BRICS/Xi in South Africa file footage, Ramaphosa file footage)) The avocado deal with Beijing was made last year when South Africa hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping on a state visit alongside the summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies. ((https://www.voanews.com/a/trade-on-agenda-for-chinese-leader-s-state-visit-to-south-africa-/7231270.html)) At the time, South Africa urged China to address the trade deficit. ((https://dirco.gov.za/opening-remarks-by-president-cyril-ramaphosa-at-the-official-talks-on-the-occasion-of-the-state-visit-by-chinese-president-xi-jinping-union-buildings-tshwane-22-august-2023/)) ((https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/sa-china-cooperation-can-bring-mutual-benefit-future)) ((VIDEO-VOA: Various shots from avocado packhouse)) Experts say China is also expanding its imports of semi-processed agriculture from Africa to ensure food security and avoid price inflation. ((https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/05/how-is-chinas-economic-transition-affecting-its-relations-with-africa?lang=en)) ((RADIO: Lauren Johnston is an associate professor of China studies at the University of Sydney)) ((Lauren Johnston, University of Sydney) ((FEMALE, ENGLISH)) (SOT 1)) ((ZOOM)) “Another kind of bigger geostrategic reason for the push on food exports is similarly to kind of diversify the global agricultural supply chain. You know you’ve had this pressure on China, you’ve had this soybean pressure from the U.S., you’ve got different pressures and trade tensions between Australia and China.” ((NARRATOR)) ((VIDEO-VOA: Laborers, pickers in orchard – close-ups on workers not avos)) As part of its agricultural push in Africa, China also imports soybeans, citrus, wine and rooibos tea from South Africa, avocados and tea from Kenya, and coffee from Rwanda and Ethiopia. (( REST OPTIONAL )) ((VIDEO-VOA: Screengrab Wu Peng X account https://x.com/AmbWuPeng/status/1813665324337868816)) China’s new ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng has promised measures are being taken to speed up the export of more agricultural products to China. ((https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/it-is-my-honour-to-serve-new-chinese-ambassador-wu-peng-reveals-his-big-plans-for-china-south-africa-relations-dc4c8495-17ba-482f-b5a3-fc86233024fa)) ((VIDEO-VOA: Garrett set up shots, drone shots of him walking on farm, examining fruit in factory)) The potential of this is huge, says Clive Garrett, marketing manager for ZZ2, a South African farming conglomerate which will soon be exporting its avocados to China. ((Clive Garrett, ZZ2 )) (SOT 2)) “Until October in 2023, South Africa could really could only export to Europe, a little bit to the Middle East, but now since then we’ve had Japan, China and India open to us and these are very exciting markets because the per capita consumption in these markets is still incredibly low. So, we see huge opportunities in going into these markets.” ((VIDEO-VOA: Drone footage of Tzaneen area, farms, dam)) ((NARRATOR)) According to industry estimates, there are some 300 million people in China earning enough to buy imported fruit. That can only be good news for farmers and workers here in this bucolic mountain town. ((Kate Bartlett, VOA News, Tzaneen, Limpopo, South Africa))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date August 1, 2024 13:27 EDT
- Byline Kate Bartlett
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English