BAFATA, Guinea-Bissau, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- As China is marking the Spring Festival -- The Year of the Snake, a team of Chinese rice-planting experts is observing the holiday with a unique mission in central Guinea-Bissau.

The Geba River meanders through the Bafata region, its banks lined with lush green trees.

Bafata is currently in the dry season. Yet, even during periods of drought, its tranquil waters sustain fertile lands, creating more than 25,000 hectares of irrigated rice fields. This region is often hailed as Guinea-Bissau's "rice granary."

During a visit to a local farm, a Xinhua correspondent saw villagers sowing rice with the guidance of Chinese experts. Some bent over to plant sprouted seeds, while others carefully arranged the young rice shoots. Not far away, a tractor was rumbling between the plots.

Rice cultivation in Guinea-Bissau follows two distinct seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. The dry season planting period aligns each year with the Chinese Lunar New Year. To ensure the agricultural schedule remains on track, experts from the Chinese Agricultural Technical Assistance Team in Guinea-Bissau follow a unique agenda during the Spring Festival celebrations.

All members of the 12th Chinese Agricultural Technical Assistance Mission in Guinea-Bissau hail from China's central Hubei Province. Embracing the traditions of their hometown, they began their New Year's Eve preparations on Tuesday by cleaning their residence, hanging red lanterns and colorful banners, and pasting festive couplets on their doors. Amid the preparations, they warmly welcomed local villagers who came to share in the celebrations and extend their New Year's greetings.

At noon, they gathered for a New Year's Eve feast, sharing the moment with their families in China through video calls to exchange greetings.

On Wednesday morning, after enjoying a hot bowl of noodle soup, the experts headed to the Carantaba farm in Gabu region to assess the progress of land leveling before sowing. The only road to the farm is a rugged trail: muddy during the rainy season and dusty in the dry season, but they have long since grown accustomed to the journey.

Tan Bing, an agronomist with the Chinese team, explained that the Carantaba farm serves as a demonstration site for advanced rice cultivation techniques.

"The selected varieties will be transplanted here for expansion trials, and the seeds produced will then be promoted nationwide by the Bissau-Guinean Ministry of Agriculture," he said.

On Thursday, the experts were invited to Manbonco village in the Oio region to distribute seeds from the previous harvest to the villagers. Their arrival was met with joyful songs and dances.

"Thanks to the continuous efforts of the Chinese agricultural experts, even our remote village can now cultivate high-quality rice. We are deeply grateful!" said village chief Queba Santos Seidi.

Since 1998, the Chinese Agricultural Technical Assistance Team has been based in the Bafata region, dedicated to selecting and demonstrating high-yield rice varieties, training farmers in rice cultivation and maintaining agricultural equipment.

The Contuboel farm serves as the Chinese team's research center for comparative rice variety trials. Zheng Junjie, head of the Chinese team, noted that the experts worked tirelessly to complete sowing 17 rice varieties imported from China before the New Year's Eve celebrations.

"These trials will help identify three to five varieties best suited to local conditions: drought and pest resistant, that will later be transplanted to open fields," he added.

The diligent work of the Chinese experts has drawn the attention of farmers and technicians from nearby farms, who came to observe and learn. As they examined the signs identifying each variety, their eyes shone with admiration and hope.

Lassana Cambai, director of the Contuboel farm, said, "Rice seedling cultivation is a technical task requiring precise control of temperature and humidity, as well as strict management of diseases and pests. Only meticulous care can yield high-quality seedlings."

"Eradicating poverty and hunger and achieving food self-sufficiency are fundamental rights for development. We sincerely thank the Chinese experts for their invaluable and selfless assistance," said Sana Camara, director of the Carantaba farm, in a letter of appreciation to the Chinese team. Enditem

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