Professor Vo Tong Xuan Vi, the agricultural ambassador

Not only famous domestically, the research works of Professor Vo Tong Xuan also brought many benefits to farmers in poor countries in Africa such as bringing many Vietnamese rice varieties or Vietnamese scientists to help countries: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Sudan, Mozambique, Angola, Cameroon..., building agriculture to suit the situation and conditions of each country.

During many meetings with him, Professor Vo Tong Xuan always mentioned his first trip to Sierra Leone to help farmers grow rice. The first time was in 2006, after a discussion with Mr. Sahr Johnny, then the Ambassador of Sierra Leone to China, about helping this country produce food, Professor Vo Tong Xuan agreed to go and help.

With the thought that while European and American powers and Asian countries are looking for ways to aid Africa, Vietnam can help Africa eliminate hunger and reduce poverty with Western rice cultivation techniques. That is the motivation that urged him to spend a lot of time and effort on countries that are still facing difficulties and lack of food.

High-yield and high-quality rice varieties from the Mekong Delta were brought by Professor and his colleagues to support Africa. (Illustration photo)

At that time, Professor Vo Tong Xuan asked for permission from the leaders of An Giang Provincial People's Committee to conduct a research trip to Sierra Leone from May 31 to June 6, 2006 using his own money and was solemnly welcomed by the leaders of this country and localities.

During his stay in Sierra Leone, the Professor traveled everywhere to meet and talk with tribal leaders and farmers to learn about their business practices; and discussed with rice researchers in Rokupr to understand the difficulties in research and technology transfer. The Professor found that Sierra Leone has a large land area, a sparse population, and climatic conditions quite similar to the Mekong Delta. However, most people still grow rice extensively once a year and have not yet mastered advanced rice growing techniques. Irrigation water here is still completely dependent on rainwater, no irrigation system has been built, so the yield is only 2-3 tons/ha.

More than a year after the survey trip, the "Sierra Leone Food Safety Working Group" headed by Professor Vo Tong Xuan was established.

Professor Vo Tong Xuan once shared: "I see that now in the countries of the world , including Africa, there is famine, malnutrition, and poverty. Many rich countries in the world spend millions of dollars every year to help Africa, but the more they help, the more hunger and poverty continue. So I think Vietnam has won against all kinds of enemies, including the brown planthopper... but we don't have money, we don't have money to help Africa. That's why I try to bring the high-yield rice growing techniques of our Mekong Delta, of our Vietnam, to help Africa, so that they can produce the same varieties as us, so that they can also escape poverty and hunger."

The author and Professor Vo Tong Xuan at the Food Security Week and High-Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture, Adapting to Climate Change, held in Can Tho within the framework of APEC Year 2017.

On the next trip to this West African country, 50 high-yield rice varieties and 10 high-quality rice varieties of the Mekong Delta were brought by the Professor and his colleagues. These rice varieties were then tested in the Mange Bureh area and the Rokupr research camp, along with the design of an irrigation system in the experimental area. The Vietnamese experts at that time made two miracles. First, they were able to grow two rice crops, the growth period of the rice plant was only 95-100 days, with a yield of about 4.7 tons/ha. Second, the experts also stored enough rice seeds for large-scale planting.

After the initial successful trial in Sierra Leone, Professor Vo Tong Xuan and his colleagues continued to visit Nigeria, Sudan, Mozambique, Rwanda, Burundi, and Liberia to conduct surveys and provide support.

"I also went to more than ten countries to send my technical staff to help people in the initial stages of my work. First, I brought many varieties to select the best ones, then organized their multiplication. From there, when I realized it, I really hoped that they would continue to bring irrigation. Based on that irrigation, I trained some farmers, but unfortunately, my rice went there, and my techniques showed that it was possible to have fields of 5 tons, 8 tons, 9 tons like in Mozambique" - Professor, Dr. Vo Tong Xuan shared.

At the international online conference on food security and nutrition held at the end of May 2022, Professor Vo Tong Xuan once again expressed his desire to help African people reduce their concerns about food security.

Recounting the story of going to Sierra Leone to help farmers grow rice at this international conference, Professor Vo Tong Xuan concluded that in Africa, food is mainly in the soil, and there is an abundant human resource, especially young people who are eager to work. Therefore, if we only equip them with skills, tools, and technology for production, Africa will certainly defeat the "hunger", ensure food security and sustainable development.

Professor Vo Tong Xuan was honored with a special prize, the Vinfuture Prize for scientists from developing countries.

According to Professor Vo Tong Xuan: "The Minister of Agriculture of Mozambique, when he went to the field, also said that he had never seen rice as good as this in Africa. But then he did not invest and the main difference in rice production in Africa and Vietnam is irrigation. Without irrigation, we would not be able to grow wild rice and have productivity. Therefore, with all my wishes to contribute technology to Africa, in the end I could not fully realize it."

According to Professor Vo Tong Xuan, for many decades now, Africa has been receiving help from Western countries and international organizations to develop. However, according to the United Nations, the number of poor and hungry people increases every year. Therefore, according to the Professor, African agriculture must be developed in a more appropriate way, and will catch up with agriculture on other continents if specific regional farming techniques are determined; conditions and minimum infrastructure are created, and farmers are directly guided by experts.

In the last years of his life, Professor Vo Tong Xuan still thought about the incomplete support for African countries. He shared that Vietnam, from a country with food shortages, has risen to become a leading rice exporter in the world, so it is completely possible to use its experience to help African countries. We can support African countries by transferring experience, technology, and rice growing techniques; at the same time, we hope that international organizations will join hands to support these struggling countries.

Source: https://vov.vn/kinh-te/gs-vo-tong-xuan-vi-su-gia-nong-nghiep-post1115833.vov