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

On behalf of Chinese side, H.E. Ambassador Liu handed over 9 tons of hybrid paddy and 6 tons of high-yielding rice seeds to the Gambian side, and together with H.E.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, H.E. President Barrow operated the machine and rolled out the first bag of rice. While the white paddy rice flowing out, all the people present applauded excitedly.

After that, H.E.President Barrow listened to the introduction of the fruitful achievements of the China-aid Gambia Agricultural Technology Cooperation project and some agricultural machinery on site, introduced by Chinese agricultural experts and Musa Darboe, the demonstration household of agricultural technology cooperation and the owner of the Maruo Farms, and then was interviewed by reporters.

H.E.President Barrow expressed his sincerely thanks to Chinese government and people for the selfless assistance to the Gambian government and people. He said, mechanization is very important in boosting agricultural production activity. 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 a lot to the development of modern agriculture and the alleviation hunger in The Gambia. H.E.President Barrow said that, the yield of Gambian local rice varieties is 3.5 tons/Ha, while under the same technology, personnel, and land conditions, 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. The Gambia will continue to deepen bilateral cooperation with China in agriculture and other fields. It is believed that with the help of China, The Gambia will realize the goal of food self-sufficiency.

H.E. Ambassador Liu said that China’s hybrid rice technology has enabled China to feed nearly 20% of the world’s population with 7.4% of the world’s arable land, and it has been also promoted to more than 70 countries all over the world for benefiting the local people. As a major agricultural country and the good brother and good partner of The Gambia, China will continue to follow the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, deepen China-Gambia practical cooperation in the fields of agriculture and so on, help Gambian people to achieve the “Zero Hunger” goal set by H.E.President Barrow.

Tong Zhan, Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy, Hon. Demba Sabally, The Agriculture Minister of the Gambian government, and and other cabinet ministers were present in the ceremony.