Madagascar is an island nation located in the southwestern corner of the Indian Ocean, separated from the African continent by a strait. Rice cultivation here has historically depended on the weather, and Madagascar imports large quantities of rice from abroad every year due to a lack of good seeds and advanced technology. The arrival of Chinese experts has changed the situation and brought hope for a bumper harvest to local farmers.
In March, green ears of rice sway in the wind in a rice field near Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo. In just over a month, the harvest will usher in a new year. This paddy field is a high-yield demonstration field of hybrid rice in China, planted with hybrid rice varieties brought by Chinese experts.
In 2007, China and Madagascar began technical cooperation on hybrid rice. In 2019, the China-FAO-Madagascar South-South Cooperation Project was launched, covering the entire industrial chain of hybrid rice from breeding to marketing. Up to now, the cumulative promotion area of Chinese hybrid rice in Madagascar has reached more than 50,000 hectares, and the average yield per hectare can reach about 7.5 tons, which is 2~3 times the local average yield.
Madagascar became the African country with the largest area and the highest yield of hybrid rice.
Hu Yuefang, a Chinese agricultural expert, is Yuan Longping's assistant and student. He said: "Professor Yuan Longping once said that we should promote hybrid rice to the world and feed the African people. I lectured them in villages, towns, and districts, and taught them techniques. Only by doing things well and bringing benefits to farmers can he be considered a qualified agricultural technician. ”
Tina is a Malagasy farmer who grows Chinese hybrid rice. "In the past, our family could only harvest 900 kilograms of rice per hectare, but after planting hybrid rice, we could harvest two tons of rice per hectare," she said. When I was harvesting, I was happy to see the fields full of rice. I'm proud to tell others, come and see our land, growing hybrid rice can lift us out of poverty. ”
The annual rice deficit in Madagascar is estimated at about 700,000 tons. Based on an average hybrid rice yield of 7.5 tonnes, growing about 100,000 hectares of hybrid rice in Madagascar could help Madagascar achieve food self-sufficiency. According to the plan, in the next three to five years, Madagascar will fully promote the cultivation of hybrid rice in 23 regions of the country.
Madagascar's Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Halifidi Ramilison, said they want to achieve the goal of food self-sufficiency in order to guarantee the country's food security. "We will continue to support the Chinese technicians who help us promote hybrid rice," he said. They not only provided us with excellent seeds, but also taught us advanced planting techniques and management methods. They are our good friends and our good teachers. ”
Since 1979, China has researched and popularized hybrid rice technology in nearly 70 countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas and the South Pacific, and has trained more than 14,000 professionals in more than 80 developing countries. Today, China's hybrid rice has been promoted and planted in dozens of countries and regions around the world, contributing to global food security.
Professor Yuan Longping once said: "I have a dream to make hybrid rice available to all those who need it in the world." "This dream is becoming a reality step by step.