BISSAU - China has offered 1,400 tonnes of rice to Guinea Bissau to help it address the problem of food shortage, an official source in Bissau said on Tuesday.

The Chinese aid valued at around 1.6 million U.S. dollars is in response to the request made by Guinea Bissau authorities following a poor harvest of cashew nuts, the country's biggest export product and the main source of income for majority of farmers.

The agreement for the aid was signed in Bissau between China's ambassador to Guinea Bissau Wang Hua and Guinea Bissau's Agriculture Minister Nicolau dos Santos, in the presence of Prime Minister Rui Duarte Barros and members of his government.

"The Chinese government, aware of the difficulties of its Guinea Bissau counterpart, has decided to offer the rice to alleviate the suffering of the Guinea Bissau population," Wang said.

Guinea Bissau's agriculture minister thanked the Chinese government for having responded to the request by Bissau authorities. "This aid proves China's commitment to contribute to resolving problems that affect our country," dos Santos said.

The poor harvest of cashew nuts in 2013 has left hundreds of families exposed to famine in Guinea Bissau.