The Rice Trial Project at Dodo Creek has taken in its first harvest, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MALD) said, after a ceremony to open the harvesting stage. The ministry is running the trial with the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) of China and JQY to see whether rice can be grown in Solomon Islands.
Officials and technical staff from the three partners attended the ceremony, which followed months of work in the field.
Elda Leah Wate, MALD Deputy Secretary Corporate and PS Supervising, opened the ceremony and called it a day of celebration and of hope for agriculture in Solomon Islands. Mrs Wate thanked the interns, JAAS experts, MALD staff and the People's Republic of China, said the project showed what cooperation can do for farming and food security, and said it fitted the GREAT government's agriculture policy of a modern, commercially viable sector that grows more food at home, creates jobs and supports people in rural areas.
Simon Baete, MALD Deputy Secretary Special Duties, said the trial brought policy, science and mechanisation together. "This trial plot is a living testament to what can be achieved when policy, science, and practical mechanization come together," he said. Mr Baete said the ministry's part was policy direction and extension support, while JAAS brought research, climate-smart techniques and high-yield varieties, and JQY supplied machinery, tools and farming infrastructure.
The harvest was "a launching pad, not a finish line", Mr Baete said, adding that the data collected would guide future rice development and the possible expansion of commercial rice hubs. He said the GREAT Coalition Government was committed to building a productive economy and pursuing import substitution.
Dodo Creek landowner Yang Jian Qing said the harvest showed what hard work, commitment and continued support could achieve, and said modern machinery could improve efficiency and lift yields in what remains labour-intensive farming.
MALD interns worked on the trial from field preparation and planting through to harvest, monitoring the crop and collecting data, the ministry said. JAAS rice specialists work with the ministry on rotations of 2-to-3 months, and two new specialists arrived for the harvest stage after the previous two left.
Source: Press release from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, published on the Solomon Islands Government portal on 7 October 2026. https://solomons.gov.sb/dodo-creek-rice-trial-project-reaches-harvesting-stage/