The People’s Republic of China has donated 54,000 bags of rice to the Gambia government to be distributed to poor and vulnerable Gambians.

The handing over ceremony was done on Friday at the State House in Banjul.

President Adama Barrow, who presided over the ceremony, described the 2,700 tons of rice as substantial quantity that will be greatly cherished by vulnerable Gambians whose staple food is rice.

Barrow added that for the Gambia to be successful in rice cultivation, self-sufficient in the production of the staple food, the country must learn from the People’s Republic of China.

Chinese Ambassador to The Gambia, M.A Jainchun said that “besides the rice aid, what is equally notable about the bilateral relations between Beijing and Banjul is the agricultural support.”

He announced that Chinese experts will arrive in the Gambia this month, to train local agricultural technicians and provide certain agricultural machinery to The Gambia.

Since resuming bilateral ties in 2017, The Gambia and the People’s Republic of China signed several cooperation agreements. One of them is to develop Gambia’s agriculture sector, particularly rice production.