China'sagriculturalexpertisefuelsprospectsforriceself-sufficiencyinFiji_GuangmingOnlineChineseexpertWuMingkui(1stL)measurestheyieldofthecropatademonstrationfieldofChina-AidAgriculturalDevelopmentProjectonriceplantinginNausori,Fiji,March13,2024."Fijihasseenanimprovementintheself-sufficientlevelofricesincetheChineseagriculturalassistanceteamarrivedhere.MorecooperationbetweenChinaandFijiissomethingthatouragriculturalsectorreallyneedsforwardtorealizeitssustainabledevelopment,"saidTekiniNakidakida,deputysecretaryforAgricultureDevelopmentofFiji'sMinistryofAgricultureandWaterways.byXinhuawritersGaoYang,GuoXinhuiSUVA,March18(Xinhua)--AfterdaysoftorrentialraininthewetseasonofcentralFiji'sNausoriTown,ChenHuazaoanxiouslyrushedtothepaddyfieldtoassesshisricecrop,whichwasplantedlastNovember.Wadingthroughthemuddyfield,Chen'sheartsankashesawthealmostmaturericeplantsflattenedbytheheavydownpours."Wewilllikelyfaceadeclineintheyieldofthistestfield.Butfortunately,cropsintheothertwodemonstrationfieldswerenotdamaged,"saidChen,teamleaderoftheChina-AidAgriculturalDevelopmentProjectonriceplantinginFiji.InanotherunaffectedtestplotplantedwithNP918,aChinesehybridricevariety,seedbreedingexpertWuMingkuiwasmeasuringtheyieldoftheripecrop.Afterfinishinghiswork,WutoldXinhuathattheyieldofthisChinesericevarietywasmorethan7tonsperhectare,about2-3timesoflocalricevarietiesinFiji.Wuisamongthesix-memberChineseexpertteam,whicharrivedinFijiinJuly2023tohelpthecountryenhanceitsriceproduction.Ricefarmingisachallengingjob,astheuncertaintyofexcessiverain,cyclonesandfloodingoftendestroyscropsinFijiandotherPacificislandnations,whicharehighlyvulnerabletoclimatechange."Despitethis,"Chensaid,"Wecanhelplocalricefarmersachievehighyieldbyuseofhigh-qualityricevarietiesandtechnology-drivenfarmingtechniqueswithscientificcultivationmanagementmeasures."STRIVINGFORRICE-SUFFICIENCYAnaerialdronephotoshowsricefieldsinNausori,Fiji,March13,2024.(PhotobySangQinlong/Xinhua)RicehasbeencultivatedformanydecadesinFiji,servingasamajorsourceoffoodforitspopulation.However,thecountry'sriceindustryhasfacedchallengesinrecentyears,markedbyadeclineinbothlandsandproduction,mainlyduetotraditionalfarmingpractices,laborshortageandtheimpactsofclimatechange.Fijiproduceslessthan20percentofitsriceconsumptionneeds,withover80percentbeingimported,saidTekiniNakidakida,deputysecretaryforAgricultureDevelopmentofFiji'sMinistryofAgricultureandWaterways.Toachievericeself-sufficiency,theFijigovernmenthaslaunchedthe"WeRiceUp"initiative,aimingtoincreasetheproductionandproductivityofricecropsinthecountry,Nakidakidasaid."That'swhyweneedmorecooperationwithChina,"theFijiagriculturalexpertsaid.ChineseexpertscheckthestatusofthecropatademonstrationfieldofChina-AidAgriculturalDevelopmentProjectonriceplantinginNausori,Fiji,March13,2024.(PhotobySangQinlong/Xinhua)Throughtheprovisionofexpertise,machinery,seeds,andagriculturalexperts,NakidakidasaidChina'ssupportforFiji'sricesectorwillcontributetotherealizationofitsriceself-sufficiencygoals.Since2015,ChinahascarriedoutthreephasesofagriculturalaidprojectstohelpenhancericeproductioninFiji.Chen'steamiscurrentlyengagedinthethirdphase.Duringthefirsttwophases,China'sagriculturalteamrejuvenatedfivelocalricevarieties,introduced16ricevarieties,providedmachineryformechanizedricecultivation,andtrainedover2,500localfarmersinhigh-yieldcultivationtechniques.Forthephasethreeagriculturalaidproject,Chinawillintroduce26ricevarieties,rejuvenate10localricevarieties,andcultivatemodelfarmers,ChineseexpertWuMingkuisaid.ADDRESSINGCHALLENGESChineseexpertChenHuazao(R)checksthericeplantsflattenedbyheavydownpoursatademonstrationfieldofChina-AidAgriculturalDevelopmentProjectonriceplantinginNausori,Fiji,March13,2024.(PhotobySangQinlong/Xinhua)ToadapttheagriculturalprojecttothespecificconditionsofFiji'sriceproduction,Chenandhiscolleaguesconductedextensiveon-siteinvestigationsthroughouttheislandnation.However,theyencounteredseveralchallengesintheireffortstoenhancelocalriceproduction.Oneoftheseobstaclesistheshortageoflabor."Wefacealaborshortagebecausemanyofouryoungergenerationsaremigratingabroadinsearchofeasierormorelucrativework,"Nakidakidasaid.HesaidthegovernmentwilllaunchincentivizedpoliciestoencourageyoungFijianstoengageinricecultivation,andhopedmoreofthemwillreceivetraininginadvancedagriculturaltechnologiesfromChineseexperts.SharingtechnicalexperienceinriceproductionisalsoapriorityoftheChineseagriculturalteam.TheteamhasestablishedademonstrationbaseattheNavusoAgriculturalTechnicalInstituteinNausori,providingtrainingonadvancedricecultivationtechniquesforthecollege'sstudents.Forotherchallenges,theyfoundricecultivationareasoccupyamere1.04percentofthearablelandinFiji,withalowaveragericeyieldperhectare."Unscientificmethodsprevail,withfarmersbroadcastingseedsbyhandratherthanutilizingmechanicalplantingtechniques,"Chensaid.Toaddresstheseissues,theChineseexpertteamhasestablishedstandardizedricefieldsandpromotedtheadoptionofmechanicalriceplanters."Fijihasseenanimprovementintheself-sufficientlevelofricesincetheChineseagriculturalassistanceteamarrivedhere.MorecooperationbetweenChinaandFijiissomethingthatouragriculturalsectorreallyneedsforwardtorealizeitssustainabledevelopment,"Nakidakidasaid.TheflourishingChina-FijiagriculturalcooperationepitomizesChina'sunremittingeffortstohelpachievesustainabledevelopmentinPacificislandcountries(PICs)bylaunchingmultipleagriculturaltechnicalassistanceprojectsundertheBeltandRoadInitiative(BRI).Throughtheseprojects,ChinahashelpedPICsimproveagriculturalproductioncapacityandfoodsecurity.China'sagriculturalassistancetoPICsreflectsitscontributionstoaddressingglobalchallengesanditseffortstobenefitallmankindwiththegoalof"noonewillbeleftbehind"inglobaldevelopment.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.