China donates hybrid rice paddy and rice seeds to the Gambia as part of the Gambia Agricultural Technology Cooperation Project

On November 28, 2022, Chinese Ambassador to the Gambia Liu Jin accompanied President Adama Barrow to attend the China-aid Gambia Agricultural Technology Cooperation Project Achievement Exhibition and Paddy and Rice Seed Handover Ceremony.

At the ceremony, Ambassador Liu handed over 9 tons of hybrid paddy and 6 tons of high-yielding rice seeds to the Gambian side, and together with President Adama Barrow cut the ribbon for the first modern combined rice milling machine in The Gambia, which was assembled by the Chinese experts. Afterwards, President Barrow operated the machine and rolled out the first bag of rice.

Over the past three years, Chinese agricultural experts have made outstanding achievements in demonstration planting, breeding of improved varieties, and promotion of agricultural machinery, trained more than 1,300 local agricultural technicians, contributed to the development of modern agriculture and the alleviation of hunger in The Gambia.

The high-yield rice seeds cultivated by Chinese agricultural experts have a yield of 10.7 tons/Ha, which is nearly three times of the local rice varieties.