Last year, Musa Darboe, a Gambian farmer, delivered the rice he had grown to the Longping Rice Museum. Thanks to China's hybrid rice technology, Darboe's community has overcome hunger.

For a long time, due to outdated agricultural techniques, low mechanization levels, and small-scale rice farming, the Gambia relied heavily on rice imports.

"In the Gambia, you cannot live without rice," said Darboe. Originally an engineer in the U.S., Darboe returned to the Gambia in 2018 to manage the farm left by his father.

With no formal training, Darboe planted three hectares of rice in his first year, but when harvest season arrived, it was accompanied by heavy rains. His farm still used traditional methods like threshing rice manually using an oil barrel. Many rice grains sprouted due to prolonged soaking in rainwater, leading to significant losses.

At this critical moment, he met Huang Zhi, country manager of Longping High-Tech, a Chinese agricultural company. Huang and his team were in the Gambia for agricultural cooperation. They provided hands-on training, introducing modern farming techniques and specialized machinery such as rice transplanters and harvesters.

Darboe's farm continues to see annual improvements in both production and management. Huang's team now plans to introduce even more advanced machinery, including drone sprayers and grain dryers. Inspired by Darboe's progress, other private farm owners are also shifting toward mechanized farming.

Looking ahead, Huang and his team aim to expand hybrid rice breeding and trial planting in the Gambia. They plan to extend skill training beyond agricultural technicians to include university students and young professionals. Additionally, they are developing an online platform to integrate local training with Chinese expertise, making education more accessible.

In 2024, the Gambia's rice production surpassed 48,000 tonnes. "We have never achieved such a yield before, which shows that Gambian agriculture is improving. Development partners like China have played a crucial role," said Gambian Minister of Agriculture Demba Sabally.

He emphasized that innovations in infrastructure and the introduction of high-yield agricultural technologies by Chinese teams were instrumental in reaching this milestone.