An heirloom species of this staple grain thrives only in a tiny pocket of East China, but scientists say its potential could be huge, Jin Zhu reports in Wannian, Jiangxi province.

Twenty hectares of arable land, tucked away in a mountain valley in Jiangxi province, may have a role to play in solving the worldwide food shortage.

A kind of rice that locals call Wuyuanzao has been grown in Wannian county in northeastern Jiangxi for more than 12,000 years.