Rice is the most important food for the world, feeding more than
half of its population. Rice-growing areas in the world now total
150 million hectares, with total output exceeding 580 million tons.
The China Academy of Engineering, the Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences and the International Rice Research Institute
jointly organized the meeting to find ways of improving the
technology used in rice growing.
Song Jian is from the China Academy of Engineering.
"China's agricultural experts have made great contributions to
China's food supply. China developed hybrid rice technology,
increasing the per-unit rice output by 30%. In 2001, China decoded
the gene diagram of rice, laying a sound foundation for the further
development of rice technology. These have greatly raised the
per-unit output and total output of rice."
During the meeting, participants will talk about rice research,
production, processing, trade and consumption, as well as the
sustainable improvement of the livelihoods of rice farmers and
consumers.
Over the past few decades, there has been rapid progress in the
development of agricultural technology. However, food security
still remains a concern in many countries. At present, one ninth of
the world's population still suffers from food shortages and
famine. As the world's population continues to grow, farmland and
freshwater for agriculture has dwindled.
At
the opening ceremony of the meeting, President Jiang Zemin called
for international cooperation to solve these problems.
"To develop agriculture all over the world, we need the joint
efforts of all countries. Based on the respect of intellectual
property rights, China encourages its experts to actively
participate in international cooperation."
The meeting is scheduled to last until Friday.
(China Radio International
September 17, 2002)