Uncategorized

Chinese hybrid rice boosts rice supply in Madagascar

Published

3 years ago

April 13, 2023

By Yan Yunming, People’s Daily

Over an hour’s drive away from Antananarivo, capital city of Madagascar, there lies Fiadanakely village, Mahitsy, a town northwest of the capital. Rice in the vast paddy fields was earring as breezes brushed against the green seedlings.

Dina, a 44-year-old rice grower in the village, was checking the growth of her crops on the ridge fields. “We will reap the rice a month later,” she said, expressing her confidence in a harvest.

The rice grown by Dina was a hybrid variety tailored by Chinese experts for local farmers, which featured high productivity, high quality and multi-resistance. Dina started growing the variety in a trial planting in 2017 when Madagascar agricultural technicians and Chinese experts came to the village to promote hybrid rice technologies.

According to her, the field for testing could only harvest 300 kilograms of rice in the past, and the woman didn’t have much expectation for the Chinese hybrid rice, especially in a dry year. However, she ended up reaping more than 900 kilograms of rice on the lot.

Tina could still remember the surprise even years later. After the testing, Dina planted Chinese hybrid rice on all her land.

In the beginning, Dina knew little about the growing techniques of hybrid rice. “Chinese experts taught us hand in hand to sow and transplant in a scientific way. No matter what problems we had, be it droughts, waterlogging or insect attacks, they would always offer timely help for us,” Dina told People’s Daily.

She said that due to the local climatic conditions, the rice yield was low in the past and the surpluses each year could only feed her family for less than six months. She still had to spend a lot of money on buying food.

“Now, our rice yield has improved from 3 tons to nearly 10 tons per hectare, and we would still have a surplus of 800 kilograms of grain at the year’s end. We sell the rice at 1,300 ariary ($0.3) per kilogram, and that makes our main family income,” Dina noted.

She told People’s Daily that growing Chinese hybrid rice has led her family to a better life. The increased income afforded the family a newly-built two-story building with red walls and white tiles beside her rice fields.

Rice is an important source of food in Madagascar, where 44 percent of the arable land is planted with rice and 70 percent of the population is engaged in rice planting. However, rice production was low for a long time in the country and couldn’t satisfy its domestic demand due to complicated climate conditions and a lack of fine varieties and core cultivation techniques.

In 2007, a China-aided demonstration center of hybrid rice was launched in Madagascar, which brought a batch of Chinese agricultural experts to the country in the Indian Ocean, including Hu Yuefang.

In more than ten years, they have visited almost all rice-growing regions in Madagascar and trained hundreds of local technicians in hybrid rice.

“When we just arrived here, rice was not available for many local residents, and they could only take cassavas, sweet potatoes and corn as substitutes. Under the assistance of Chinese experts, rice is coming to the tables of more and more local families,” Hu said.

Local agricultural technician Aro is a student of Hu. As an official of Madagascar’s agricultural department, he has twice joined training programs in Changsha, central China’s Hunan province.

After returning to his country, Aro has been committed to offering technical support in hybrid rice planting for growers in Ambohidratrimo, a town in the central highlands of Madagascar.

“More and more farmers are starting to grow hybrid rice. In the region that I work in, there are over 200 people skilled in growing hybrid rice,” Aro said, hoping that Madagascar and China could carry out closer agricultural cooperation.

“Chinese hybrid rice helps Madagascar achieve self-sufficiency in rice supply. I hope it can be promoted to more African countries and thus help relieve the issue of food security in Africa,” he told People’s Daily.

In 2019, the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center opened its African branch in Madagascar. It is committed to training advanced agricultural technicians and selecting hybrid rice varieties that suit the diverse climate conditions in the region.

Fanja Raharinomena, former secretary-general of the Malagasy Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, noted that hybrid rice development is under smooth progress thanks to the support of the Chinese government. She said China is a global leader in hybrid rice studies, and thanked the Chinese government’s contributions to the breeding of hybrid rice in Madagascar and to the agricultural development of Africa.

Uncategorized

Kwara: Ifelodun Travellers Transport System Revived

Published

10 hours ago

August 19, 2026

Our Reporter

As Council Signs MoU With P&A Contract Ltd

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Ifelodun local Government, under the leadership of Hadji Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with P & A Contract Limited for the construction of a modern motor park in Amoyo, as the Council moves to revive the Ifelodun Travellers transport system and improve transportation within the Local Government.

Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony at the Council s Contact Office in Amoyo, the Chairman explained that the decision to construct the motor park was driven by the need for Ifelodun Local Government to establish its own transport identity, intended to ease people’s transportation problem.

He recalled that residents travelling to and from Ifelodun had, over the years, relied on transport facilities at Offa Garage and Maraba in Ilorin, stressing the need to create a dedicated transport hub that would serve the people of the Local Government.

“At some point in the history of Ifelodun Local Government, we had Ifelodun Travellers, which does not exist anymore. I don’t think there is anything wrong with bringing that identity back to the limelight. Now, we want to add value to that identity,” the Chairman said.

He added that the Council was also working with relevant stakeholders to bring in 10 units of Korope buses, which would commence operations as soon as possible.

“We are working with the NURTW, Kwara State Chapter, for guidance and to ensure that the operation runs smoothly,” he added.

The Supervisory Councillor for Works and Infrastructure Development, Mrs. Kolo Rebecca, explained that the proposed park would feature several amenities, including a garage, warehouse, 100-unit shopping complex, parking spaces and general toilets.

She said the facilities were designed to boost economic activities, improve the image of the Local Government and provide a more convenient transportation system for residents.

According to her, the initiative is also in line with the efforts of the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to take governance and development directly to the grassroots.

The contractor, Mallam Jimoh Toheeb Abolore, assured the Local Government of the prompt execution of the project, promising that the construction would meet the required standards and contribute positively to the image and development of Ifelodun Local Government.

Those in attendance included the Vice Chairman, Hon. Nike Ajibola; Secretary to the Local Government, Dr. Kamil Akorede; DPM, Mallam Ayinde Salman; LGT, Mallam Usman Waheed; Chief of Staff to the Chairman, Chief Ademola Zubair; Head of Works, Engr. Awodi Muhammad; Land officer, Tola Kadir and other Special Assistants.

Uncategorized

Lawyer Demands Release of Detained Kano Blogger, Maryam Shehu

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Hassan Agboola

A lawyer and human rights activist, Hamza Nuhu Dantani, has called for the immediate release of Kano-based blogger, Maryam Shehu, who he said has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for almost 30 days.

Dantani, in a statement on Monday, said the prolonged detention of Shehu was becoming difficult to reconcile with the rule of law and provisions of the 1999 Constitution, particularly her fundamental right to personal liberty.
He questioned why Shehu should remain in detention for nearly 30 days, particularly over an offence he described as ordinarily bailable.

“How on earth can a person be detained for almost 30 days and counting, particularly in relation to an offence that is ordinarily bailable, without meaningful consideration of her liberty and constitutional rights?” he asked.
Dantani said the EFCC’s powers to investigate did not give the commission the right to detain a suspect indefinitely, punish her before trial or disregard her fundamental rights.

He also criticised the alleged practice of photographing persons in EFCC custody and publishing their images online while they remain presumed innocent.
Citing Section 36(5) of the Constitution, Dantani said the law guarantees the presumption of innocence until a suspect is proven guilty by a competent court.

He warned that publicly portraying suspects as criminals before trial could amount to subjecting them to public punishment and humiliation.
“The EFCC is a law-enforcement institution. It must therefore be the first institution to demonstrate obedience to law. It cannot demand respect for law from citizens while appearing to disregard constitutional safeguards itself,” he said.

Dantani urged the commission to either charge Shehu before a competent court if it has credible evidence against her or release her immediately
.
“We call on EFCC to respect the Constitution, respect presumption of innocence and respect fundamental right to personal liberty. Investigation is not conviction. Detention is not punishment. And an allegation is not guilt,” he said.

Uncategorized

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Comment on Lionel Messi’s Tribute to His Dad Becomes Most-Liked Instagram Comment

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Fabian Apechihin

Cristiano Ronaldo’s heartfelt message to Lionel Messi following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, has reportedly become the most-liked comment in Instagram history.

Jorge Messi died on August 7 in Rosario, Argentina, aged 68. Five days later, Messi paid tribute to his late father in an emotional Instagram post featuring a photo of the pair.

In the post, Messi wrote, “Te amo, pa” — meaning “I love you, Dad” — alongside a lengthy tribute reflecting on his father’s influence and the pain of losing him.

Among the many reactions from fans, celebrities and fellow footballers was a message from Ronaldo.

“Un abrazo enorme para ti y los tuyos en estos duros momentos, Leo. Mucha fuerza,” Ronaldo wrote, which translates to: “A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength.”

Ronaldo’s comment reportedly attracted more than 6.86 million likes and over 86,000 comments, making it the most-liked comment on Instagram.

The previous record was also held by Ronaldo, whose comment on Kylian Mbappé’s announcement of his move to Real Madrid reportedly received more than five million likes.

Other football stars also expressed their condolences to Messi. Neymar Jr.’s message, translated as “Much strength for you and your family. Big hug,” reportedly received more than 1.6 million likes, while David Beckham’s comment expressing support for Messi and his family attracted more than 300,000 likes.

In his tribute, Messi described his father’s death as difficult to comprehend, saying he struggled to accept that he would no longer see or speak with him.

Messi also recalled how his father had encouraged him to play at the 2026 World Cup despite his deteriorating health. He said his father had hoped to watch him compete and had planned to travel if his condition improved.

According to Messi, he had promised his father that Argentina would reach the final so he could be there. Although Argentina reached the final, his father was unable to attend.

Reflecting on the loss, Messi said he had wanted to win the tournament and bring the trophy to his father but ultimately struggled physically during the competition.

The emotional tribute highlighted the close bond between Messi and his father and the profound impact of his loss on the football superstar.