Harvest Time

By December 16, 2008Archives, Opinion

DL Umali Achievement Award for a Vietnamese scientist

(Part 1)

By Dr. Sosimo Ma. Pablico

DR. VO TONG XUAN is not a Filipino, but permit me to use this column to pay tribute to a friend from our undergraduate years at the UP College of Agriculture (UPCA) in Los Banos in the 1960s. Last November 27, 2008 he became the first recipient of the Dioscoro L. Umali Award in Agricultural Development, which was named after the dean of the college during our time. (Dr. Umali was responsible for the transformation of UP Los Banos into a world class university.) Earlier in 1993, Dr. Xuan received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service.

The citation for his award reads:

“A scientist, educator, extension worker, administrator, and international servant in rural development, agricultural diversification, and food policies for almost three decades, Dr. Vo Tong Xuan’s dedicated and committed service towards the promotion of diversified and sustainable agriculture, particularly in rice production, through his scientific publications, extension, teaching and inputs to national policies has directly and indirectly impacted the lives of millions of people, especially those in developing countries whose lives primarily depend on agriculture.

“Dr Xuan’s work at the grassroots, national, and international levels in the governmental, private, and non-governmental sectors contributed immensely to the transformation of the Vietnamese agricultural economy from a net rice importer to the world’s second largest rice-exporter. He was instrumental in disseminating the modern cultivation techniques of high yielding rice varieties to the farmers of the Mekong Delta and his leadership helped farmers in the area to restore their production after the brown plant hopper (BPH) infestation adversely affected the high yielding rice areas of the Mekong Delta, resulting (in) widespread food shortage among rice farmers.

“He has assisted the governments of Cambodia, Myanmar, and Lao People’s Democratic Republic on their agricultural policies and technologies. His expertise has likewise been sought by governments and farmers even beyond Asia.”

His unselfish devotion for the welfare of the Vietnamese farmers helped established his country as the world’s second largest rice exporter today.

With a master’s degree in sugar technology after receiving his diploma in BS Agricultural Chemistry in UPCA through a Rockefeller Foundation Scholarship, he earned a research scholarship from International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) that enabled him to train further on rice research and production.

As fate would have it, when Xuan and his wife, the former Miss Bui Thi Ngoc-Le, returned to Vietnam in 1971, he was immediately drafted into the army upon his arrival in South Vietnam, but the president of the University of Cantho petitioned the Ministry of Defense to have his military service deferred. After serving for only nine weeks as an active-duty soldier, Xuan was released to join the faculty at Cantho.

At the new university, he found himself teaching rice science, soil fertility, field plot techniques, agricultural extension, and technical English soon after Xuan suggested the adoption of some courses from the UPCA curriculum. And, in the absence of data on Vietnam’s rice varieties and growing conditions, he began generating the data himself initially by renting a small plot of land outside the university for his scientific rice research. In 1972, a collaborative arrangement with IRRI enabled him to fast- track his research activities.

Today, Dr. Xuan is now known in Vietnam as Dr. Rice owing to the popularity of his TV program, “Agricultural Technology Program” (July 1977 to 1984) where farmers were taught different techniques for growing and cultivating rice. Then, his studies on acidic sulfate soils in the Mekong Delta helped further his country”s rice production capability.

After his stint as professor and rector of University of Cantho, he is now the highly respected rector emeritus at the Angiang University.

(Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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