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BEIJING: World leaders, representatives of international organizations and experts have been mourning the death of Chinese scientist Yuan Longping, whose lifelong research in high-yield rice varieties help feed people around the world.
“Today, we mourn the passing of a true food hero. Chinese scientist Yuan Longping saved millions of people from hunger by developing the first hybrid rice strains,” the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs tweeted. “He passed away today at 91 (due to illness) but his legacy and his mission to end hunger lives on,” it said.
Having spent over five decades in hybrid rice research, Yuan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has helped China work a great wonder — feeding nearly one-fifth of the world’s population with less than 9 percent of the world’s total land. Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, on Saturday expressed his sadness over Yuan’s passing.
“Deeply saddened by the death of Prof. Yuan Longping, my dear Master. He devoted his life to the research of hybrid rice, helping billions achieve food security,” wrote Qu on his Twitter account. “You were my Inspiration. May you rest in peace,” Qu added.
Born in Beijing in 1930, Yuan succeeded in cultivating the world’s first high-yield hybrid rice strain in 1973, which was later grown on a large scale in China and other countries to substantially raise output.
“We have learned with great sadness the passing of the Chinese academician, father of hybrid rice, professor Yuan Longping,” said Fanomezantsoa Lucien Ranarivelo, minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Madagascar, in a condolence message on behalf of the ministry and in his own name published Saturday on Facebook.
In Madagascar, the output of rice was raised from 3 tons to 10 tons per hectare, thanks to Yuan’s fruitful research and a hybrid rice R&D center in the town of Malagasy co-built with China National Hybrid Rice R&D Center, an institution he founded. Nowadays, sponsored by the center’s training program, Madagascan technicians can travel to the Chinese central city of Changsha, where Yuan’s team headquartered, and receive tailored advices.
