Rice project has benefited 18 countries

Varieties lead to average increase in output of 20 percent, scientist says

A decadelong agricultural project spearheaded by Chinese scientists has helped alleviate the poverty of more than 1.6 million farming households in 18 Asian and African countries by cultivating high-yield, resilient rice strains.

The Green Super Rice project, led by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, has generated 78 rice varieties that have outputs 20 percent higher per hectare on average while also minimizing the use of fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation, said Li Zhikang, a professor and researcher of rice breeding at the academy, and a leading member of the project.