[2022-11-18] Chinese hybrid rice strengthens Mozambique’s food security

Source: Permanent Secretariat to the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao)

The International Forum on Hybrid Rice Assistance and Global Food Security, co-organized by the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the National Administration of Food and Strategic Reserves, was held on the 12th of November in Beijing.

Maria Gustava, the Mozambican ambassador to China, reported at the Forum that the Wanbao project, funded by China, planted 20,000 hectares of hybrid rice in southern Mozambique, increasing rice production from 1.5 tons to 8 tons per hectare. Local people expect more Wanbao projects to be implemented in the country.

Maria Gustava wants more extensive cooperation with China in the agricultural sector, with more productive crops and improved seeds to ensure Mozambique’s food security.

Since 1979, China has been researching and promoting hybrid rice technology in about 70 countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas and the South Pacific Ocean, having trained more than 14,000 professionals in more than 80 developing countries.