The Chinese public has recently buzzed with images of a farmer, wearing a straw hat and wading through muddy fields to inspect crops, escorted by armed police. This special protection is for Yang Xiugang, 50, who is dubbed the "Agricultural God" in Nigeria.
Yang was originally a farmer from Guizhou province, China. Despite lacking academic qualifications, he has 20 years of experience in hybrid rice seed production.
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Yang receives 24/7 protection. Photo: China news |
In 2017, Yang was dispatched to Jigawa state, Nigeria. At that time, local farmers' cultivation techniques were backward, with rice yields reaching only 1,5 tons per hectare. Poverty and food shortages were constant concerns for the people.
Despite language barriers and temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius, the 50-year-old expert persisted in the fields. Daily, he waded through mud before dawn and worked diligently until late at night.
Yang learned the local language and personally demonstrated each step to farmers: from turning the soil, sun-drying to eliminate pests, to germinating seeds and adjusting fertilizer. "From being skeptical, local farmers actively observed and followed me", he shared.
After 7 years, Yang's farming techniques have helped raise rice production in Jigawa to 4,5-4,8 tons per hectare, three times the previous yield. From facing food shortages, many farming households now have food security, even selling rice to build homes and buy vehicles.
Recognizing the vital importance of these techniques for national food security, the Nigerian government elevated Yang's protection to the highest level. An armed police team was assigned to protect him 24/7, whether in the fields or in the villages.
"He is a crucial expert we invited. He must be protected at all costs", a Nigerian government official stated.
Beyond increasing yields, Yang also trained a core team of local technicians to sustain the long-term results. Currently, the planned hybrid rice cultivation area in Jigawa state has reached 20,000 hectares.
In fact, Yang Xiugang is just one of hundreds of agricultural experts dispatched by Beijing to the African continent as part of a bilateral cooperation program.
According to data from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China has so far established 24 agricultural technology demonstration centers and transferred over 300 advanced technologies in Africa.
The most significant achievement in this effort is the successful introduction of hybrid rice cultivation in over 20 countries, coupled with sending over 500 experts to the field and training nearly 9,000 local technicians.
These projects have helped crop yields in many arid regions increase by an average of 30-60%, directly benefiting over 1 million small-scale farmers and contributing significantly to addressing the pressing food security challenges on the continent.
Speaking about his unintended fame, the farmer said: "I am just an ordinary farmer. It is an honor to be able to bring my techniques to help African people have more food".
Bao Nhien (Source: China News, Weibo)
