25/05/2021
Father of Hybrid Rice 🌾🙏
|| We, at the Philippines Department of Agriculture, wish to extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family of the late Prof. Yuan Longpin.
Regarded as the “Father of Hybrid Rice,” Prof. Yuan Longpin revolutionized the way we grow rice with his development in 1970s of the first hybrid rice strain that pulled countless people out of hunger decades after, both in China and around the world.
The Philippines is privileged to host him a number of times, as he travelled across Asia and other countries to provide advice and consultations to rice research personnel and scientists.
Thus, his passing is a big loss for agriculture and in global efforts to enhance the quality and availability of food, notably rice which is the staple food of more than half of the world's population.
Filipino rice experts and farmers, which have been beneficiaries of hybrid rice technologies that followed Prof. Yuan Longpin pioneering work, will be forever grateful for his contributions in agriculture.
We are one with his family and the people of China in honoring his memory.
WILLIAM D. DAR, Ph.D.
Agriculture Secretary
