China Mourns Death of Man Who Saved Millions From Hunger
- Yuan Longping died of illness on Saturday, state media said
- He developed first commercially viable hybrid rice varieties
Yuan Longping at a hybrid rice planting field in Changsha city, 2006.
Photographer: Guang Niu/Getty Images
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The death of Yuan Longping, the Chinese agronomist known for using hybrid varieties to boost rice harvests during the Cultural Revolution era, has triggered an outpouring of tributes, including from President Xi Jinping.
Yuan, known as the “father of hybrid rice,” died of organ failure on Saturday in a hospital in Changsha, the capital city of central Hunan Province, at the age of 91. A memorial service was held on Monday morning, state media reported.