Madagascar’s President Andry Nirina Rajoelina said that the introduction of Chinese-developed hybrid rice, offering a significantly higher yield per cultivated area, has given Madagascar hope of achieving food self-sufficiency. Rajoelina made the remarks during a recently aired interview with China Central Television (CCTV) in Beijing after attending the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September.
As early as 2007, the team of Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping, the “father of hybrid rice”, introduced hybrid rice to Madagascar and the Hybrid Rice Demonstration Center project was launched in Madagascar.
In 2010, Chinese rice experts successfully grew three hybrid rice varieties capable of achieving high yields in the island country’s local low-, medium- and high-altitude areas, resulting in more than three times the amount of local rice generated per hectare. The strands were soon promoted by Madagascar’s Ministry of Agriculture for planting across the country.