"Today, we mourn the passing of a true food hero. Chinese scientist Yuan Longping saved (million) of people from hunger by (develop) the first hybrid rice strains," the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs tweeted.
"He passed away today at 91 (due to illness) but his mission (end) hunger will live on and his legacy (remember) for generations," it said.
Having spent over five decades in hybrid rice research, Yuan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has helped China work great wonder-feeding nearly one fifth of the world's population with less than 9 percent of the world's total land.
Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, on Saturday expressed his sadness over Yuan's passing.
"I am (deep) saddened by the death of Prof. Yuan Longping, my dear Master. He devoted his life the research of hybrid rice, helping billions achieve food (secure)," wrote Qu on his Twitter account.
Born in Beijng in 1930, Yuan (succeed) in cultivating the world's first high-yield hybrid rice strain in 1973, was later grown on a large scale in China and other countries to substantially raise output.
