Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu met with China's 2004 World Food Prize winner Yuan Longping in Beijing Monday, sending the State Council's greetings to him for his great contributions in raising the nation's rice yield.

Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu (R) meets with Yuan Longping, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and famous Chinese expert in cultivating hybrid rice, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2004.

Yuan, dubbed the "father of hybrid rice," developed the world's first hybrid rice variety in 1974, increasing rice output by 15 to20 percent. He was awarded a World Food Prize this month for his outstanding work.

The vice premier thanked Yuan for his creativity and perseverance in promoting scientific agriculture and called on all researchers in the sector to learn from him.

Hui noted that China's agriculture and rural productivity should rely on science, which is crucial in building up modern agriculture, increasing farmer's income and promoting rural economics.

Hui also said China should work ceaselessly, go on exploring, make bold innovations and scale new heights so as to introduce breakthroughs in agriculture in technology and grain breeding.

Source: Xinhua