Recently, local farmers have been busy harvesting rice in Divo Department's Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, a nationally renowned rice production region in Cote d'Ivoire, as well as the demonstration base for Sino-Ivorian agricultural cooperation. Over the years, China's agricultural technology cooperation team has significantly improved the yield and quality of local rice in many ways, such as cultivating and promoting new rice varieties, training on rice planting techniques,and managing water conservancy facilities, substantially increasing the income of local rice farmers.

The implementing party of China's agricultural technology cooperation team in  Cote d'Ivoire is also a technical partner of the United Nations World Food Programme’s West-Africa Rice Value Chain Initiative.  Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, this  Initiative aims to enhance the capabilities of smallholder farmers in Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea. It focuses on addressing post-harvest losses of rice, thereby contributing to the realization of  the zero-hunger goal and the economic empowerment of smallholder farmers.

Leveraging the valuable technical references and practical experience of rice producing emerged from the Sino-Ivorian agricultural cooperation in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, the West-Africa Rice Value Chain Initiative has set up a hands-on demonstration site in this area to allow beneficiaries to do field visits and learn practical skills on rice production and field management, water irrigation, rice harvesting, processing and storage management, which has empowered smallholder farmers, government officials, and other community representatives in Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea.

Rice farmers harvest rice in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, Divo Department, Cote d'Ivoire, on Jan. 8, 2024. [XINHUA/HAN XU] 

Rice farmers harvest rice in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, Divo Department, Cote d'Ivoire, on Jan. 8, 2024. [XINHUA/HAN XU] 

A rice farmer (right) drives a harvester to harvest rice in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, Divo Department, Cote d'Ivoire, on Jan. 8, 2024. [XINHUA/HANXU]

Guo Changyou (left), leader of China's agricultural technology cooperation team, communicates with rice farmers in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, Divo Department, Cote d'Ivoire,on Jan. 8, 2024. [XINHUA/HAN XU]

Reference:

Chinese experts help farmers in Cote d'Ivoire achieve bumper harvest of paddy rice