Beijing: Chinese agricultural scientist Yuan Longping, known as "the father of hybrid rice", has claimed to have achieved a new record for hybrid rice production.
The new record of an average yield of 1,026.7 kilogrammes per mu (0.0667 hectare) was reached at a farm in Xupu County in central China's Hunan Province and was confirmed by experts organised by the ministry, said Tang Ke, director of the ministry's department of science, technology and education.
Last year Yuan, an academic from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, questioned Bihar farmer Sumant Kumar who had beaten his previous record by harvesting 22.4 tonnes per hector.
China in recent years has made a slew of important breakthroughs in agricultural products and production technology and laid a solid foundation for the grain harvest increase for 10 years in a row, Tang was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
The new record surpassed the 1,000 kg-per-mu target set by the ministry in 2013 after the yield of hybrid rice was raised to 963.65 kg per mu in 2012.
China, the world's most heavily farmed country, faces problems including limited land and water resources and rising pollution, making food security a major concern.
