China to harvest 16 tonnes of rice per hectare starting from this year, the expert believes

Almaty. September 14. Silkroadnews – Renowned Chinese scientist Yuan Longping believes a hybrid rice yield target projected for 2018 can be achieved as early as this year, «Xinhua» agency writes.

«I am confident that the fifth-phase target (on a hybrid rice yield) can be achieved this year», he said at the symposium marking the 20th anniversary of China's hybrid rice development.

Ministry of Agriculture of China officially launched a program for the hybrid rice breeding in 1996. Four years later, the research team of Yuan Longping reached the first-phase target of 10.5 tonnes per hectare. The target of the fourth-phase stands at 15.4 tonnes per hectare was achieved in 2014.

In China the farmland used under hybrid rice has risen to 13.3 million hectares while that overseas totaled 5.3 million hectares only. Rice is a staple food for nearly 65% of Chinese.