On September 21, local time in Zambia, the Zambia Agricultural Mechanization Overseas Training Program officially opened at Camco College Ltd. (Zambia). The program is undertaken by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences (CAAMS) and co-organized by Camco College Ltd. (Zambia), a subsidiary of CAMCO Group.
Chinese guests attending the opening ceremony included Mr. Jin Jun, Counselor of Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Zambia , Mr. Li Tie, Chairman of CAMCO Group; Mr. Wang Yubo, Project Manager of the International Cooperation Center of CAAMS; and Ms. Yu Xujiao, Principal of Camco College Ltd. (Zambia). Zambian representatives included Mr. Chumbe, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock; Mr. Musonda, Administrative Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office; Mr. Kapulu, Director of the Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture; and representatives from the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA). Forty trainees from Zambia's agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors are participating in the training.
Entrusted by Ambassador Han Jing, Counselor Jin Jun delivered a speech. He noted that the traditional friendship between China and Zambia has stood the test of time, with fruitful practical cooperation. The Chinese government attaches great importance to human resource capacity building in African countries, and helping Africa cultivate urgently needed technical talent for its industries is an important part of China-Africa cooperation. This training program is a concrete step in implementing the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2025–2027) and the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries. Compared with training in China, holding the program locally in Zambia can reach more local trainees and amplify the training's effectiveness. It is also a useful exploration of capacity building through China-Zambia departmental collaboration.
As a national-level research institution in China's agricultural machinery sector, CAAMS has trained more than 6,600 agricultural technicians and management personnel for over 100 developing countries worldwide. This training program is based on the real needs of Zambian agriculture, with courses covering mechanized maize production, irrigation and solar energy utilization, livestock equipment, conservation tillage, and post-harvest handling. It adopts a diversified teaching model combining classroom lectures, thematic seminars, and field visits to York Farm. Counselor Jin Jun encouraged all trainees to cherish this valuable learning opportunity, actively exchange ideas with Chinese experts, and ensure they gain knowledge and apply it, turning the training outcomes into real strength for advancing Zambia's agricultural development and deepening China-Zambia friendly cooperation.
Mr. Li Tie, Chairman of CAMCO Group, spoke at the opening ceremony. He noted that Zambia is endowed with exceptional land and water resources and has enormous potential for agricultural development. Upgrading the agricultural industry does not rely solely on importing equipment; a local technical talent pool that knows how to operate, maintain and manage machinery is the core support for agricultural mechanization to take root.
Zambian representatives expressed sincere gratitude to the Chinese government, CAAMS and Camco College Ltd. (Zambia) for their preparations for this training program. They stated that agricultural mechanization is an important lever for promoting high-quality development of Zambia's agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors. They encouraged all trainees to strictly observe training discipline, prioritize practical training safety, and translate what they learn in the classroom into real productivity in the fields.
After the opening ceremony, guests toured the Camco College Ltd. (Zambia) campus, practical training workshops and student dormitories. They inspected agricultural machinery practical training equipment and new energy training facilities, and gained a detailed understanding of the college's industry-education integration infrastructure. They also held on-site exchanges with trainees and fully affirmed the college's complete practical training facilities.
This overseas agricultural mechanization training program runs for nearly one month, concluding on October 18. The courses focus on practical content such as agricultural machinery operation and maintenance, modern agricultural production, and renewable energy applications. Using a model that combines theoretical instruction with on-site practical training, the program helps trainees systematically master modern agricultural machinery application technology and builds a regular exchange channel for Chinese and Zambian agricultural technicians. As a China-Zambia industry-education integration platform built by CAMCO Group, Camco College Ltd. (Zambia) is grounded in Zambia's local industrial realities and promotes the localization and adaptation of agricultural machinery technology. It looks forward to trainees applying what they learn.
CAMCO Group attaches great importance to cultivating local talent. This training program is a concrete practice of the Group leveraging its industry-education platform to empower local development. CAMCO Group will continue to give full play to the platform effectiveness of Camco College Ltd. (Zambia), deepen practical collaboration in China-Africa agriculture and vocational education, and promote China-Zambia mutual benefit and win-win outcomes through long-term commitment.
