THE China-Africa International Symposium on Perennial Rice in Africa opened on Wednesday at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa with a call for expanding perennial rice planting across the continent.

The symposium discussed how perennial rice could boost food security in Africa by fostering innovative agricultural practices and leveraging the strategic partnership between China and Africa in the agricultural sector.

Josefa Leonel Sacko, AU commissioner for agriculture, rural development, blue economy and sustainable environment, said Africa is not self-sufficient in rice production and relies heavily on imports to meet about 64 percent of its demand.

"To bridge the existing gap between supply and demand, we must embrace innovative solutions that promote sustainable rice cultivation. One of such solutions is the introduction and promotion of perennial rice, developed through cutting-edge breeding techniques," Sacko said.

Perennial rice is unique in that it can grow for several years without the need for replanting and often offers a range of benefits to smallholder farmers, including low production costs. "It is commendable that Africa should embrace the perennial rice to reduce the cost of production, improve soil fertility, reduce erosion and loss of nutrients, and promote biodiversity," she said.

The commissioner also said China and Africa have a long-standing partnership in the field of agriculture, which was scaled up through the China-Africa science and technology partnership, paving the way for the transfer of agricultural technology to Africa.

"This symposium is yet another testament to strengthen China-Africa cooperation to enhance the adoption of perennial rice throughout Africa by leveraging China's expertise in agricultural research and Africa's biodiversity," Sacko added.

Addressing the symposium, which brought together leading Chinese and African agricultural scientists and experts, Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese Mission to the AU, said China has been actively sharing its experience and technologies to help the continent ensure food security through agricultural development.

"China has built 24 agricultural technology demonstration centres and five demonstration parks in Africa, and promoted more than 300 advanced and practical technologies such as green super rice, high-yield corn, greenhouse vegetable cultivation, and rapid cassava breeding, which have effectively improved the agro-industrial production chain in Africa," Hu said.

He said trial planting of perennial rice is underway in Uganda, Madagascar, Burundi, Nigeria, Kenya and other countries, yielding more than six tonnes of rice per hectare.

Perennial rice technology was developed by Chinese agronomists, and it was selected as the "International Agricultural Innovation Technology" in 2018 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.