From the yield per mu to 13 tons per hectare, Chinese agricultural experts have worked hard in Burundi for ten years to completely reverse the dilemma of food shortage with seven localized varieties and 76 demonstration villages. The agricultural cooperation between China and Burundi not only builds the cornerstone of food security in the hearts of Africa, but also plays the strong voice of the era of a community with a shared future between China and Africa in the drumbeat of harvest.

Continued implementation of agricultural aid projects

The sixth phase of China's technical assistance project for senior agricultural experts in Burundi has been steadily advancing, and the project is under the overall control of the Bureau of International Economic Cooperation Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce. Since 2009, China has sent six consecutive batches of agricultural experts to the local area to provide assistance, continuously deepening cooperation in the field of agriculture between China and Burundi, promoting local agricultural development, improving people's lives, and implementing various assistance measures of the Dakar Conference of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation.

The 7th China Ambassador Harvest Award ceremony was held at the Agricultural Demonstration Center for Aid to Burundi in Mpanda County, Burundi Province. Local drummers dressed in their own country's distinctive tricolor costumes beat drums and dance to celebrate the bountiful rice harvest. Officials from China and Burkina Faso jointly presented awards to outstanding individuals and collectives in hybrid rice cultivation. Agricultural workers in Burkina Faso stated that with the support of the Chinese demonstration center, the local rice yield per hectare has increased from 3 tons to 10 to 13 tons, and the bilateral agricultural cooperation has achieved significant results. The Chinese representative pointed out that the promotion of hybrid rice and the construction of poverty reduction demonstration villages have achieved remarkable results, and looks forward to continuously deepening cooperation and upgrading the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Burundi, located in the middle east of Africa, has the nickname of "the heart of Africa", and agriculture is the local core industry. For over a decade, China has continuously dispatched agricultural experts to assist in stabilizing local food supply, promoting poverty reduction, and gradually lifting the region out of the predicament of food shortage.

Ten years of cultivating high-yield rice varieties

On site residents consulted about rice varieties, yields, disease resistance, and other related issues, and the head of the Chinese agricultural expert group answered them one by one. When the team entered the local area in 2015, the quality of local rice seeds had deteriorated, planting methods were outdated, and food production had been low for a long time, making it difficult to ensure basic food and clothing for the people. This was also the original intention of agricultural technical assistance work.

Since 2015, the team has conducted field trials of hybrid rice, and after multiple rounds of screening and cultivation, has achieved localized high-yield planting of hybrid rice. Based on the local soil, water and climate conditions, the expert group has cultivated 7 high-yield and disease resistant rice varieties, and there is no need to purchase seeds locally. After ten years of construction, 76 rice demonstration villages have been built in the region, cultivating 110 local young agricultural technology backbone. The person in charge of the local cooperative stated that Chinese experts have devoted themselves to cultivating rice, and the bountiful harvest in demonstration villages has attracted a large number of farmers to actively try hybrid rice cultivation. Local agricultural technicians have achieved a considerable harvest of rice this year, and plan to learn melon and fruit planting techniques in the future to broaden channels for increasing income.

The popularization of high-quality seeds drives income growth

The local management personnel in Rutana County were local agricultural technology backbone in their early years. After learning rice planting techniques from Chinese experts in 2020, they returned home to drive farmers to increase production. Previously, the local rice yield was low, and rice blast disease occurred frequently. After the introduction of hybrid rice, various planting difficulties were gradually resolved. Keywords: Burundi, hybrid rice, agricultural aid

Local farmers generally recognize standardized planting methods, and the planting area of hybrid rice in the county has expanded from 50 hectares in 2020 to 326 hectares. This manager relies on planting hybrid rice to improve their lives, purchasing vehicles, building new houses, and taking up grassroots management positions. He stated that he will continue to learn Chinese agricultural technology, take root in rural areas, and drive surrounding farmers to steadily increase production and income.Editor/Gong Ziwei