Julius Atlhopheng (L), Chief Executive Officer of Botswana's National Agricultural Research and Development Institute, shakes hands with African Agriculture PTY LTD (AA) Managing Director Miles Nan after signing a Memorandum of Understanding in Gaborone, Botswana, on June 19, 2023. Botswana's National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI) and African Agriculture PTY LTD (AA), an agricultural trading company based in Gaborone, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Monday to introduce new drought-tolerant rice varieties to increase yields. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)
GABORONE, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI) and African Agriculture PTY LTD (AA), an agricultural trading company based in the capital Gaborone, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Monday to introduce new drought-tolerant rice varieties to increase yields.
The collaboration is expected to promote rice cultivation in Botswana. "Rice is the third most imported cereal and contributes substantially to the country's escalating food import bill," said Tiny Diswai, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security, at the signing ceremony in Gaborone.
AA Managing Director Miles Nan stated that the collaboration was motivated by a common vision of tackling Botswana's agricultural technology limitations and developing a cooperative framework for the country's agricultural development. ■