Gates donates 20 mln dollars to help rice farmers: institute

Manila (AFP) Jan 28, 2008 - Bill Gates, the world's richest man, is to donate nearly 20 million dollars for research into helping rice farmers deal with global warming, the International Rice Research Institute said Monday.

The Philippines-based institute said it would use the donation from the Microsoft founder to harness scientific advances and address major unsolved problems in agriculture.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would release the 19.9-million-dollar grant over three years, the institute said.