The scientific achievements and works by these scientists have led to major breakthroughs in agriculture, industry, social development, information technology, energy resources and transport.

They also helped reap profits of more than 430 billion yuan (US$52 billion), which include direct economic returns of 95 billion yuan (US$12 billion), during the past five years, up 58 percent on the Eighth Five-Year Plan period (1991-95), according to Minister of Science and Technology Xu Guanhua.

"The scientific achievements in agriculture during the past five years have markedly shortened the gap between China and more developed countries," Xu said.

With agricultural development on top of the country's agenda, the last five-year plan had 22 projects to help improve grain production and increase farmers' incomes.

Among them, a system to achieve higher yields for major crops in five provinces and autonomous regions was recommended as one of 19 "major scientific achievements."

This was revealed at a conference yesterday in Beijing sponsored by four ministries, including the Ministry of Science and Technology.

"This system has helped support China's grain reserves as the nation's population continues to grow," said He Gehua, an official with the ministry.

The output of rice, wheat, corn, cotton and soybeans has increased by more than 20 percent through the implementation of the project, according to statistics from the ministry's department of development planning.

Yuan Longping, a hybrid rice scientist who worked for the project's paddy rice research in Central China's Hunan Province, received the state's top award for his contribution to agricultural technology - worth 5 million yuan (US$602,400) - from President Jiang Zemin in February.

The Ministry of Agriculture also vowed in late April to accelerate scientific progress in agriculture to meet the challenges posed by the World Trade Organization.

The national plan will tackle technology problems for crops, the prevention and solution to sandstorms of and further exploitation of low-output farmland in the next five years, according to Xu.

(China Daily 05/16/2001)