Two farms in Angola operated by Chinese state-run conglomerate Citic Group “are serving as a showcase of modern agriculture” in that country official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported this week.

The two farms, each of 10,000-hectares, are located respectively in Malanje and Uíge provinces. Corn, beans and rice are being grown at the properties.

Citic’s agricultural co-operation with Angola was still “at a preliminary stage”, the general manager of Citic’s operations in Africa, Liu Guigen, told Xinhua. The Angolan government hoped the Chinese company could build more modern farms in other provinces, he added.

The farm in Malanje province had during two recent harvest seasons “the highest unit production in Angola’s farming history,” the news agency said.

Norberto dos Santos, Governor of Malanje, told Xinhua his province hoped to co-operate with Chinese companies in the farming sector in an effort to provide more jobs for locals and improve their living standards.