7 things about Võ Tòng Xuân who gave Vietnam its famous rice varieties

Professor Vo Tong Xuan, Vietnam’s leading agriculture scientist, passed away on Monday. Globally acclaimed for contributions to agriculture, Xuan was 84. Xuan died of illness at 7 a.m. at a HCMC hospital in Hanoi.

A leading expert in agricultural science, Xuan made significant contributions to international research, especially in the field of rice cultivation and ensuring food security among rice-dependent populations. He is known as the inventor of several Vietnamese rice varieties in the Mekong Delta region.

2. Short bio: Professor Xuân was born in 1940 in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang. He received a scholarship in 1961 to study at the Philippine Agricultural University in Los Banos. He turned out to be an excellent international student.

3. Academic excellence: In 1966, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Chemistry from the Philippine university and the same year, he enrolled as a PhD student at the famous International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

4. Homecoming: He returned to Vietnam in 1971 at the invitation of the Cần Thơ University director, who wrote to him: “The country really needs people like you.” Xuan had come back to train agricultural engineers in his homeland.

5. Off to Japan: To defend his doctoral thesis, he went to Japan in 1974. He would soon compile several valuable textbooks, books and reference materials that served as ready reckoner to boost agricultural production not only in Vietnam but across the world.

6. Awards and recognition: Xuan was awarded an honorary title of professor of agronomy in 1980 and the Labour Hero award in 1985. He won three terms as a National Assembly delegate.

7. The rice security: Xuan played a key role in ensuring food security as he popularised IR36 rice variety in the Mekong Delta region where the crop was frequently attacked by pests. He collaborated with farmers, training them in advanced grafting techniques.

8. Last public appearance: Xuan’s last public appearance was on June 29, when he attended a workshop for water security in the Mekong Delta region. His funeral is likely to be held at Cần Thơ Funeral Hall in Cần Thơ City.