Interest sprouts in Yunnan's hybrid rice south of the border

Nearly two decades of research and development by Yunnan province's agricultural institutes and companies to produce high-quality hybrid rice is cultivating interest across South and Southeast Asia.

"Its unique hearty flavor appeals to many people. The crop is also short in height, which is an advantage in windy terrain," said Lu Yixuan, a researcher at the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

According to the provincial department of science and technology, there are nearly 67,000 hectares across Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh currently growing hybrid rice first developed in Yunnan.