Experts helping to boost corn yields in Tanzanian villages

In addition, the university team also replicated China's success in making village chiefs responsible for helping residents solve problems and increasing yields in the two Tanzanian villages.

"Each village has assigned three people, including a chief and a technician, to help locals by providing technical guidance in farming," Li said.

Zhou Shengkun, an associate professor from the university's College of Humanities and Development Studies, said nearly 80 percent of people in Africa rely on agriculture to make a living, which means increasing output is key to reducing poverty and boosting economic development.

Modern agriculture is not suitable for many areas of Tanzania, including the villages taking part in the pilot project, due to a lack of infrastructure such as basic irrigation systems, he said.

In addition, unlike other continents, the soil in Africa is not polluted by fertilizers and pesticides, so agricultural production should not be increased at the cost of environment, Zhou added.

Li said his team has visited the villages three or four times a year to guide local farmers. However, he said poor roads and irrigation systems have greatly impeded agricultural development there.

To promote the experiences gained in the pilot program, China Agricultural University joined hands in March with the Morogoro regional government and Sokoine University of Agriculture to launch a new demonstration project that will cover another 1,000 households.

"Africa has a favorable environment for agricultural production, such as fertile, unpolluted soil, and adequate sunshine and rainfall," Li said. "With proper development Africans can feed themselves and other regions."