Chinese Hybrid Rice Technology to Boost Harvest for Nigerian Farmers

News in brief:

-Chinese agricultural technician Yang Xiugang is helping farmers in Nigeria significantly increase rice yields through hybrid rice technology.

-His training and improved rice varieties have boosted productivity and skills among local farmers in Jigawa State.

Chinese agricultural technician Yang Xiugang is helping farmers in Nigeria significantly improve rice yields by introducing hybrid rice technology and providing hands-on training.

Yang, who comes from Cengong County in southwest China, has spent years promoting improved rice production techniques in several countries, including Bangladesh, Malaysia and The Gambia.

Since early 2021, he has been based in Jigawa State, where he works directly with farmers to adapt hybrid rice varieties to local conditions.

From Seed Production Hub to Global Agricultural Outreach

Cengong County is a major rice seed production centre in Guizhou Province, with seed breeding activities dating back to 1976.

Yang began his career in the sector in 1998 when a local seed company started developing hybrid rice seed production in his town. After mastering the techniques, he became a technician and later helped promote hybrid rice breeding across different townships.

In 2013, the county’s seed company partnered with Yuan's Seed Company Limited to expand hybrid rice promotion internationally, leading to Yang’s overseas assignments.

Adapting Hybrid Rice to Nigeria’s Climate

Upon arriving in Nigeria, Yang faced climatic conditions that differed significantly from those in China.

Daytime temperatures can reach between 38 and 39 degrees Celsius, while night temperatures drop sharply, sometimes to between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius. These conditions required careful adaptation of planting schedules and crop management.

To address this, Yang spent more than two years studying local planting cycles, monitoring temperature, humidity and seedling development in rice fields.

He explained that synchronising the flowering periods of male and female rice parent lines is crucial in hybrid seed production, making an understanding of local climate essential.

Developing High-Yield Rice Varieties

After conducting field trials with dozens of hybrid rice varieties imported from China, Yang selected two that performed well in Nigerian soil and climate.

Working with his team, he further developed two adapted hybrid rice strains that offer higher yields, improved resistance to lodging, and better disease tolerance.

As a result, average rice yields increased from about 200 kilograms per mu in 2021 to between 650 and 700 kilograms per mu by 2025.

Training Nigerian Farmers in Modern Rice Cultivation

Beyond introducing improved seeds, Yang also trained local farmers in modern cultivation practices, including seedling management, weed control and pest management.

Farmers frequently visited his demonstration fields to observe and learn each stage of the process.

So far, he has trained 12 local apprentices, including Muhammad Usman, who began learning hybrid rice cultivation techniques in 2023.

Usman said the training has significantly improved his farming knowledge and productivity, and he plans to share the techniques with other farmers.

Expanding Hybrid Rice Production in Nigeria

The spread of hybrid rice cultivation has already begun to influence local diets around the planting base, with rice increasingly replacing coarse grains as a staple.

Yang plans to return to Nigeria in April and aims to expand hybrid rice cultivation to about 20,000 hectares before retiring.

He expressed hope that wider adoption of hybrid rice technology would help improve food security and ensure that more people have reliable access to food.