In June, during the rainy season in Benin, it is time to plant cotton. In Meili Town near Parakou in central Benin, farmer Donatien Ezin prepares to till the soil in his backyard field. As a model farmer of the Chinese cotton technology assistance project in Benin, Ezin deeply appreciates the convenience brought by agricultural mechanization. "Chinese agricultural experts introduced mechanized cotton planting, greatly elevating planting efficiency," Ezin said . "Farm machinery has significantly saved our labor time, and we can quickly complete planting on these six hectares of cotton fields." Since 2013, the Chinese cotton technology assistance project in Benin has completed its third phase. Over the past decade, Chinese experts have been carrying out the selection of high-quality cotton varieties, demonstrating planting techniques, training agricultural talents, and guiding agricultural machinery technology, significantly improving the yield and quality of local cotton and promoting the modernization of cotton planting in Benin. Shen Zhiwan, Agronomist of cotton plantingwho participated in the first and third phases of the project, has witnessed the tremendous changes in the lives of local cotton farmers. "When the first phase of the project began, there were only a few scattered mud houses around our project site. Now, looking around, all you see are newly built brick houses," Shen said. Over the years, Chinese experts have forged deep friendships with local villagers, donating to village schools and providing study supplies and bicycles to local children.
