New breakthroughs in hybrid rice breeding have resolved the food supply concerns that have dogged China for thousands of years, said Yuan Longping, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, recently.

Yuan has been dubbed the father of hybrid rice in China. He said the next step is to improve the quality of the rice while maintaining quantity.

Yuan, now 70 years of age, is one of a number other specialists trying to crack the 900 kilogram mark in rice yields per unit. Between 2000 and 2004, they increased rice yields by 200 kilograms to 800 kilograms per unit. At present, over 20 countries around the world have invested in or do research on hybrid rice.

"China's research on hybrid rice is the best in the world," said Yuan. "The limit on hybrid rice per unit is 1500 kilograms. Once we reach our goal of 900 kilograms, we will aim for 1000."

By People's Daily Online