Expert removed from post at Chinese rice research center

Yuan Longping, director of Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, has been removed from office, sources with the center in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, confirmed on Tuesday.

Yuan, 85, known in China as "the father of hybrid rice," will continue his research following removal from the administrative position.

Yuan, also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, developed the world's first hybrid rice in 1974.

A team of researchers led by Yuan reached a target unit yield of 700 kg per mu (0.0667 hectares) and 800 kg per mu in 2000 and 2005, respectively, setting world records both times. In 2014, his team achieved a record for hybrid rice production with an average yield of 1,026.7 kilograms per mu.

Although Yuan is in his 80s, he typically works in rural areas and on farms. In September, Yuan visited Cambodia to promote "super rice," a type of high-yield hybrid rice.

Yuan said he expects to raise the unit yield of the "super rice" to 16 metric tonnes per hectare. He said he will devote his life to researching and promoting work on hybrid rice.

China, one of the world's most heavily farmed countries, faces problems including limited land and water resources, and rising pollution, making food security a major concern. About 65 percent of Chinese depend on rice as a staple food. Endi