AfricaRice Strengthens Strategic Partnerships with Leading Chinese Research Institutions to Accelerate Rice Innovation in Africa
In a significant step forward international rice research collaboration, a delegation from AfricaRice led by its Director General, Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, undertook an official mission to China from 27 to 30 May 2026, engaging with five of the country's foremost agricultural research institutions that saw the signing of cooperation agreements, firming up concrete joint research roadmaps, and a landmark scientific breakthrough.
In a significant step forward international rice research collaboration, a delegation from Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) led by its Director General, Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, undertook an official mission to China from 27 to 30 May 2026, engaging with five of the country's foremost agricultural research institutions that saw the signing of cooperation agreements, firming up concrete joint research roadmaps, and a landmark scientific breakthrough.
Signing Ceremony I: AfricaRice and HNAAS Formalize Strategic Partnership
The first major milestone of the mission came on 27 May, when AfricaRice and the Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (HNAAS) signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement in a formal ceremony attended by senior representatives of both institutions. The agreement was signed by Dr. Baboucarr Manneh on behalf of AfricaRice and Prof. Yu Yinghong, President of HNAAS, on behalf of the Academy. The HNAAS is one of China's most prestigious agricultural research bodies, with the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center (HHRRC) as a key affiliate. The HNAAS brings to this partnership, deep expertise in hybrid rice breeding, molecular genetics, and technology dissemination. The agreement provides a long-term framework for joint research, scientist exchanges, and capacity development, with HHRRC designated as the lead unit for implementation of AfricaRice–HNAAS cooperation activities.
