Uganda and China Partner to Advance Perennial Rice Technology

Researchers from Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) are working closely with China to establish global partnerships in rice research. This initiative focuses on developing perennial rice in Africa by collaborating with leading Chinese institutions.

Dr. Yona Baguma, the Director General of NARO, is spearheading the delegation to China. The team is engaging with organizations such as Yunnan University and the BGI Group. BGI Group is a prominent life sciences and genomics institution with over 20 years of experience in rice research. Dr. Baguma emphasized that the collaboration with BGI aims to promote perennial rice varieties, which allow farmers to harvest from a single planting for up to five years.

In October 2024, Dr. Yin Ye, CEO of BGI Group, visited Uganda to formalize this partnership. The collaboration is intended to position perennial rice as a cornerstone for food security, better nutrition, and increased farmer incomes. Dr. Baguma highlighted that the ongoing discussions in China are centered on creating the Africa Regional Perennial Rice Technology Centre in Uganda.

This planned facility, launched during Dr. Ye’s visit, will serve as a hub for research, and training. It will also serve as a center for the dissemination of perennial rice technologies across the continent. According to Dr. Baguma, perennial rice offers numerous advantages, including up to 15 harvests from one planting, reduced costs for seeds and labor, and improved soil stability.

With Uganda’s existing 65 varieties of wild rice, the country is well-positioned to develop high-yielding, disease-resistant, and climate-adaptive rice strains. Dr. Baguma noted that the partnership with China has the potential to revolutionize food production, given rice’s critical role in global food security.

Professor Zhang Shilai, Deputy Dean at Yunnan University’s Institute of Plant Resources, said the collaboration will include breeding programs. Demonstration sites will also be set up in Uganda to showcase perennial rice’s benefits. These include eliminating the need for transplanting and tillage, reducing labor demands, saving seeds, and enhancing carbon sequestration in soils.

Notably, NARO has already developed five perennial rice varieties, including PR107, which was introduced in 2022. Known as “NARO Rice 1,” this variety has gained recognition for its exceptional aroma and flavor. Additionally, the partnership offers Ugandan students opportunities to pursue advanced studies and research in rice production at Chinese institutions.