Recently, the second season of the themed documentary series "Guarding the Blue Planet: Enterprises in Action," titled "What Sustains the Sails" (Africa Edition), is being broadcast globally on Hunan International Channel. In the third episode, "A New Chapter of Fertile Fields," Zoomlion is featured as an example, vividly telling how the company leverages high-performance, high-quality agricultural machinery and a well-established localized system to support local agricultural modernization.

In Nakuru, Kenya, the pink ripples of flamingos and the vast verdant expanse of fertile fields together weave the richest picture of the East African Rift Valley. Facing the farming challenges of muddy rainy seasons and hardened soil in dry seasons, agricultural machinery from China is helping local communities boost land productivity.

In Zoomlion's local warehouse, engineer Solomon is conducting pre-delivery inspections of tractors. Here, every piece of equipment must pass strict inspection before leaving the warehouse—the first step in safeguarding agricultural production. "This is a 110-horsepower machine, usually used to transport agricultural supplies for farmers," he says while operating it skillfully. This batch of equipment is about to be shipped to the Angata Sugar Factory.

This warehouse holds roughly 300 agricultural machines, mainly tractors, rice harvesters, and rice transplanters. "Many Kenyans like our tractors because they are powerful, fuel-efficient, and easy to operate," introduces Kenneth, a Zoomlion agricultural service engineer in Kenya.

Kenya's agricultural population accounts for as much as 70%, and insufficient mechanization has always been a constraint on local development. When traditional manual labor meets extreme weather, and when second-hand equipment struggles to meet food demand, efficient and reliable agricultural machinery has become an urgent call for this land.

March to May and September to November each year are Kenya's busy farming seasons, when sugarcane reaches a bountiful harvest. John, the logistics manager at the Angata Sugar Factory, is dispatching several agricultural machines to the sugarcane fields. "Sugarcane is one of Kenya's important cash crops, and the sugar industry makes a positive contribution to Kenya's economic development. We have planted over 1,000 hectares of sugarcane and purchased about 60 machines. Compared with the past, both efficiency and output have increased significantly," says John.

"After our tractors were used at the sugar factory, they helped save about 30% of operating costs in short-distance transportation," says Zhu Wenxi, Deputy General Manager of Zoomlion's Overseas Company for the East Africa Region. Marala, a machine operator at the sugar factory, also expressed delight: "In the past we relied on manual carrying; now with machines, the work has become easier."

To ensure efficient operation of agricultural machinery, Zoomlion stations local service engineers at the sugar factory on a long-term basis so as to respond to emergencies at any time. "One very thoughtful thing about Zoomlion is that they provide us with resident engineers who can quickly handle any fault, because they are always on site. We benefit greatly from the services and support they provide," says John.

"When facing emergencies, we immediately dispatch our on-site service engineers to resolve the problem. During the process, we also train the operators and their repair workers, so that they can solve similar problems on their own in the future," says Deng Meng, Service Manager of Zoomlion Agricultural Machinery for East Africa. "For example, Kenya's climate is mainly divided into rainy and dry seasons, resulting in too many muddy roads. Operators frequently use the brakes during transportation, so the factory upgraded the brake pads, and we also upgraded the braking systems of machines shipped subsequently."

"After we carried out R&D suited to local needs, customers also came to believe that products made in China are genuinely easy to use, durable, and easy to maintain locally," says Zhu Wenxi.

Zoomlion service engineer Kennedy has just returned from a 15-day training program in China: "I was exposed to the entire process of machines, from assembly and testing to final fitting. This experience is extremely precious to me, allowing me to bring this knowledge back to Kenya and help technicians and operators better understand how to use tractors and carry out their work efficiently and independently. I believe this will benefit not only my country but also the entire East Africa region."

At his technical guidance site, explanations and operating sounds interweave: "I mainly train them in safe driving practices, because safety comes first." From Chinese classrooms to African fields, the seeds of knowledge are taking root and sprouting in the most down-to-earth way.

"This has truly driven agricultural development. Zoomlion's equipment has greatly increased the output of food and raw materials at the sugar factory and in surrounding areas, making work easier. Whether in field operations or with matching implements, everything has become more efficient. I hope we will have more such cooperation opportunities in the future," says John.

From research to application, from knowledge to equipment, a pathway connecting modern agriculture is extending across the African continent. The promotion and application of Chinese agricultural machinery have provided certain equipment support for Kenya's agricultural modernization. Today's harvest is not only a gift from the land but also embodies the wisdom and innovation of China-Kenya cooperation. China-Africa agricultural cooperation is writing a new chapter of fertile fields that belongs to the future.