‘Land & Technology’ in Action, Securing Food for the World! BGI Agri’s First Harvest Festival Successfully Concluded

Golden waves ripple through the rice fields, and the fragrance of freshly harvested grain fills the air.

On December 10, the BGI Bioverse First Harvest Festival was held at the BGI Bioverse Experimental Base in Dapeng New District, Shenzhen. Attendees included Li Qiong, Director of the Science, Innovation and Economic Services Bureau of Dapeng New District; Zhang Yunhai, General Manager of the Science, Technology and Information Industry Department of Beidahuang Group; Wang Guirong from the Agricultural Genomics Institute at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Chen Qingshan, Dean of the College of Agriculture at Northeast Agricultural University; Qian Yonghua, Chief Talent Officer of Fengnong Holdings; Deng Lie, Chief Scientist of Fengnong Holdings; Wang Xinglin, Chief Agronomist of Fengnong Holdings; as well as Yin Ye, CEO of BGI Group, and Liu Huan of BGI Bioverse. Guests immersed themselves in the vibrant harvest scene amid the perennial rice fields.

Under the theme “Rice That Can Be Explained, Yet Transcends Rice”, Yin Ye, CEO of BGI Group, shared over two decades of BGI’s scientific achievements in rice research with on-site guests and online viewers, using detailed charts and data to illustrate current global food security challenges.

Yin Ye stated: “Through the efforts of generations of agricultural scientists, China’s rice has not only secured our own food supply but has also helped feed a growing global population. Today, BGI is working with partners to develop more high-quality perennial rice varieties, aiming to contribute even more to agricultural development in the new era.”

Yin Ye, CEO of BGI Group, delivered a keynote speech

It is reported that perennial rice is an original rice variety developed by Professor Hu Fengyi’s team at Yunnan University, capable of achieving “one planting, multiple harvests,” significantly reducing planting costs and labor requirements.

As the world’s only commercially viable perennial grain crop, perennial rice has been selected by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as an International Agricultural Technology Innovation. Since last year, Yunnan University and BGI Bioverse have worked together to promote the application of perennial rice technology and advance its industrial development.

BGI Bioverse, a wholly owned subsidiary of BGI Group, has partnered with multiple collaborators since its establishment and has successfully launched representative products such as perennial rice and the Dobao eggplant tree.

Liu Huan of BGI Bioverse stated: “BGI Bioverse has forged a ‘rice pathway’ defined by BGI’s technological strengths. Moving forward, BGI Bioverse will collaborate with Chongqing Jiaotong University and Tsinghua University to integrate desert soil transformation technologies, driving the integrated development of desert agriculture planting systems under the ‘Heaven–Earth–Life’ framework.”

Liu Huan of BGI Bioverse delivered a keynote speech

Wang Jian, Chairman of BGI Group, exchanged views on the internationalization of agriculture with Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Chief Scientist Ismahane

During the “Friends of the Bioverse” sharing session, three guests—Zhang Yunhai, General Manager of the Science, Technology and Information Industry Department of Beidahuang Group; Professor Wang Xinglin, Chief Agronomist of Fengnong Holdings in Shenzhen; and Tang Yongxia, Principal of Bagang New Village Kindergarten in Dapeng New District, Shenzhen—took the stage together as representatives of BGI Bioverse’s partners. They shared their stories and experiences in the fields of agriculture and education, while also exploring possibilities for deeper collaboration in the future.

“Friends of the Bioverse” Sharing Session

(From left to right: Liu Huan, Zhang Yunhai, Tang Yongxia, Wang Xinglin, Yin Ye)

At the event, Beidahuang Food Group and BGI Bioverse signed a cooperation agreement. Looking ahead, by leveraging Beidahuang’s tens of thousands of hectares of grain fields and standardized planting technologies, combined with BGI’s more than 20 years of expertise in rice research and other agricultural fields, both parties are confident that their collaboration will bring meaningful benefits to society.

On-Site Signing Ceremony

Amid the perennial rice fields, BGI Bioverse curated a uniquely immersive rice tasting experience, inviting guests to learn about and personally sample three distinctive rice varieties—Manla No. 1 perennial rice, Terraced Red Rice, and Kenchuan Fragrant Rice.

“Land and technology working in tandem to secure food for the world.”

Amid increasingly severe global food security challenges, the development of modern agriculture has become ever more critical. Yin Ye, CEO of BGI Group, stated: “Looking ahead, BGI will actively coordinate efforts across all sectors. Empowered by scientific research and technological innovation, we will jointly implement the national strategy of ‘storing grain in the land and in technology,’ continue to support the development of new agriculture, and ensure that scenes of abundant harvest become a lasting reality.”