Chinese experts help Sierra Leone achieve grain self-sufficiency

In a village close to the city of Bo, capital of the Southern Province in Sierra Leone, farmers were busy reaping rice with a combine harvester. A large number of villagers stood on the ridges of the paddy field and watched as the roaring machine smoothly cut and threshed rice crops.

Holding a handful of threshed rice, one of the farmers happily praised the high-quality rice seeds and advanced technology brought by "Chinese friends", saying that this year's rice yield increased again.

The "Chinese friends" he was speaking of were the experts participating in the 14th session of the China-aid agricultural technical cooperation project in Sierra Leone.

"This rice field located at the Njala farm is a high-yield demonstration zone newly cultivated by the experts. After more than two years of cultivation, the rice yield increased from three tons to nine tons per hectare," said Li Youliang, head of the Chinese expert team.

An operator of a combine harvester who had been trained by the Chinese experts climbed to the driver's cabin and started his work.

Under the guidance of the Chinese experts, he learned to drive tractors and combine harvesters, and also mastered ways to deal with malfunctions.

In the past, local farmers had to reap rice with sickles and then thresh it manually, which was a time-consuming, painstaking task. But now, with the advanced agricultural machine, they can harvest five hectares of rice in one day.

Recognizing agriculture as a traditional pillar of Sierra Leone's economy, China has made agricultural cooperation a focus of its friendly relations with the country. Since the 1970s, China has dispatched agriculture experts to Sierra Leone for technological cooperation.

Li said that over such a large span of years, Chinese experts have built six agriculture demonstration zones, including the Njala farm, to showcase China's agricultural techniques and methods to local farmers and to promote the application of technologies.

Through the sustained efforts of Chinese experts, Li said, more and more local farmers chose to plant Chinese corn and rice varieties.

"We train local villagers, agriculture majors and technical personnel on pest prevention and control and the operation of agricultural machinery. As of this November, this group of experts has conducted 18 training sessions for over 400 participants," Li noted.

Aside from delivering technical training, the experts also helped construct a pump generator room and pave field roads, in keeping with their goal of providing more convenience for the production and life of local residents.

After the harvest, farmers transported rice to a nearby grain-sunning ground, which was also built by the "Chinese friends".

The Njala farm, which is close to Njala University, became an important venue for local research institutes to conduct field research.

Bashiru Mohamed Koroma, vice chancellor and principal of Njala University, said after a research trip to the field, "trial planting results show that the Chinese rice varieties are very suited to Sierra Leone and have great potential for yield increasing. I believe that further agricultural cooperation between the two countries can empower Sierra Leone to achieve grain self-sufficiency at an early date."