The World Food Prize Foundation celebrates its 2004 award with ceremonies that begin today and run through tomorrow in Des Moines. Kenneth Quinn is the president of the foundation and says two researchers shared this year’s prize. Professor Yuan Longping from China and Monty Jones from Africa are both rice breeders who he says have made exceptional breakthrough achievements. He says professor Yuan was the first person to breed a hybred rice and professor Jones was the first to creat a blend of Asian and African rice to create a new high-yield sturdy rice. Cresco native and Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug will give the keynote address this moring at the state capitol. Borlaug is also the creator of the Food Prize. Quinn says the two winners will also be there tonight for the official award presentation. He says they’ll have people from 62 different countries to witness the ceremony in which they get their quarter-million dollar prize. The events continue with a symposium. He says they’ll have speakers from around the world on rice, biofortification and enhanced nutrition. Quinn says there’s a youth institute that runs along with the other events. He says they bring high school teachers and students together with world renowned researchers. The students write papers and discuss them. A dozen of the students will be chose for internships around the world. Borlaug’s speech this morning is open to the public.