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The 10th China-South Asia Expo and the 30th China Kunming Import and Export Fair kicked off in Kunming from June 11 to 16. Centered on the theme of unity and coordinated development for shared growth, the event draws participants from 68 countries, regions and international organizations, covering all South Asian, Southeast Asian and RCEP member states. As a gateway to South Asia and Southeast Asia, Yunnan leverages its strengths in plateau characteristic agriculture to export premium local agricultural commodities. Inside the agriculture pavilion, dozens of categories including grain, fruits, tea and livestock products attract numerous overseas buyers. In high-standard paddy fields across central Yunnan, combine harvesters work efficiently to complete rice harvesting. Full mechanized farming stabilizes grain output and guarantees a steady supply of high-quality farm produce. Supported by the China-Laos Railway and cross-border logistics routes, Yunnan’s agricultural goods are transported smoothly to markets across South and Southeast Asia. Serving as a vital platform for trade links, the South Asia Expo hosts a series of matchmaking sessions for agricultural purchasers. Local agricultural enterprises seize opportunities under the RCEP framework to deepen agricultural cooperation and achieve win-win outcomes with neighboring countries.

Recently, through on-site cutting and yield measurement, the early indica rice yield in the thousand-acre demonstration area of perennial rice created by Yunliang Group, a subsidiary of Yunnan Modern Agriculture Development Group Co., Ltd., in Menghai County reached 560 kg. This marks that the phased achievements have been made in the local promotion and application of the national key R&D project on light-simplified cultivation technology for perennial rice, which the company is responsible for implementing. Perennial rice is a globally first-of-its-kind perennial food crop variety created by Professor Hu Fengyi's team at Yunnan University after more than 20 years of research and development. It was bred through distant hybridization between African long-pistil wild rice and cultivated rice, achieving "one-time planting and continuous harvest for 3 to 5 years (or several seasons)". From the second season onwards, there is no need for seedling, plowing, or transplanting; only field management and harvesting are required. It is vividly called "rice like leeks". This technology was selected as one of the "Top Ten Scientific Breakthroughs of 2022" by the journal 'Science'. It is a major independent innovation in agricultural science and technology to implement the national strategy of "storing grain in land and storing grain in technology" and ensure food security. From this year's early