NARO Partners With China To Advance Perennial Rice In Africa

The NARO Director General, Dr. Yona Baguma and the CEO BGI Group, Yin Ye (both in center) after exchanging gifts during the meeting in China.
With the growing importance of rice as a food security crop, the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) is forging strategic global partnerships to enhance production and expertise.
In this effort, NARO’s Director General, Dr. Yona Baguma, is leading a delegation to China to collaborate with world-leading rice research and production institutions. Among these are Yunnan University and the BGI Group, a renowned life science and genomics organization with two decades of rice research experience.
In October 2024, BGI Group’s CEO, Dr. Yin Ye, visited Uganda and formalized a partnership with NARO to elevate rice as a cornerstone for food security, nutrition, and income generation. Dr. Baguma explained that the current visit to China seeks to solidify plans for establishing an Africa Regional Perennial Rice Technology Centre in Uganda. The center, whose groundbreaking was conducted during Dr. Ye’s visit, will serve as a hub for research, training, and dissemination of perennial rice technologies across Africa.
“NARO and BGI have embarked on a groundbreaking collaboration to harness perenniality in crops, especially rice, enabling farmers to harvest from the same crop for up to five years,” Dr. Baguma said. He highlighted that perennial rice allows at least 15 harvests from a single planting, reducing input costs such as seeds and labor while improving soil stability.
Uganda, home to 65 types of wild rice, offers a strong foundation for developing new, high-yielding, disease-resistant, and climate-smart rice varieties.
“Through this partnership, Uganda and China will lead one of the most significant food revolutions in the world as rice is a principle food security crop across the world,” Dr. Baguma emphasized.
Prof. Zhang Shilai, Deputy Dean at the Institute of Plant Resources at Yunnan University, added that the collaboration will include breeding programs and demonstration sites for perennial rice in Uganda, benefitting the continent. “Perennial rice reduces labor, eliminates transplanting and tillage, saves seeds, and increases carbon storage,” Prof. Shilai explained.
Notably, NARO has already developed five perennial rice varieties, including PR107, released in 2022. Known as “NARO Rice 1” or “New Super,” it has gained popularity for its aroma and taste.
The partnership will also create opportunities for Ugandan students to study and conduct rice research in China.
The NARO delegation comprised of the Director Corporate Service, Dr. Stevens Kisaka, the Director Internal Audit, Mr. Dennis Owor, the Director Research at the National Crop Resources Institute, Dr. Titus Alicai, the Programme Leader Scientist for Cereals, Dr. Jimmy Lamo and the Head Communications, Mr. Frank Mugabi.
The NARO delegation includes Dr. Stevens Kisaka (Director of Corporate Services), Mr. Dennis Owor (Director of Internal Audit), Dr. Titus Alicai (Director of Research, NaCRRI), Dr. Jimmy Lamo (Programme Leader for Cereals), and Mr. Frank Mugabi (Head of Communications).