KUNMING, Aug. 27 (China Economic Net) - The South Asia & Southeast Asia Rice Molecular Design Breeding Network was officially established in Kunming, Yunnan, China.

The network was founded during the South Asia & Southeast Asia Upland Rice Network Annual Meeting held in Kunming from August 19 to 22, serving as a hub and platform for seed industry cooperation between China and countries across South and Southeast Asia.

At the annual meeting, agricultural science experts and scholars from more than ten countries, including China, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, gathered to explore future cooperation in rice genetic resources and breeding technologies.

According to organizers, the network will leverage Yunnan’s position as a regional hub, the rich rice genetic resources of South and Southeast Asian countries, and China’s expertise in molecular design breeding theory and technology. The goal is to cultivate new rice varieties that can adapt to climate change and strengthen food security.

Gong Jiashun, Deputy Director of the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, noted that the Belt and Road Initiative advocates consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and agricultural science cooperation among countries embodies this spirit. He pinpointed that the new platform aims to move research from the lab to the field, turning scientific findings into tangible benefits for farmers.

At the symposium, domestic and international experts discussed breeding climate-resilient rice varieties for South and Southeast Asia, identifying beneficial new genes in local rice resources that could help address climate change, promoting the application of China’s advanced molecular design, interspecific hybridization, and upland rice breeding technologies abroad, and training a new generation of young breeders.