Botswana launched a ceremony to celebrate a harvest of Chinese water-saving and drought-resistant rice in the southern African country.
The project, which started in 2020, was conducted through a collaboration between the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) and African Agriculture Pty Ltd.
Under the project, seeds were obtained from China while organizations such as the Shanghai Agrobiologically Gene Centre, An Hui China, and the Jiangsu Provincial Seed Department provided advice as needed.
Trial’s success
After testing seven types of rice, the amount of rice produced as a result of the trials reached 9 tonnes per hectare. Three types known as AA073, AA128 and AA212 proved to be drought resistant and able to reach grain filling stage, a stage of growth after fertilization that determines the size and density of grain for harvesting during the two-year-long trial, according to Botswana University of Agriculture &Natural Resources, a major participant in the research. Rice trials will be expanded to areas such as Maun, Tuli Block, Borolong, and Pandamatenga, among others.
The university also said Chinese participants such as the Shanghai Agrobiological Gene Center and agricultural authorities in Jiangsu province provided advice to enable the trial’s success.
“This is a milestone in the agriculture sector, a historic event that indeed deserves a celebration,” said Slumber Tsogwane, Acting President of Botswana, during the ceremony in Gaborone, Botswana.
“Investments in arable agriculture will stimulate private sector development, create employment, create value-addition opportunities, and enhance food security and ultimately exports,” Tsogwane said.
