A RESIDENT of the tiny hamlet of Garriston, near Leyburn, Dr Dyno Keating, has taken over as the director-general of the World Vegetable Centre in Taiwan.

His wife, Rosi, who is a peripatetic music teacher at some primary schools in Wensleydale and runs the Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosi's music classes for toddlers and pre-school children at Middleham Key Centre, joined him for the ceremony in Taiwan marking his assumption of office.

At the ceremony, the President of Taiwan, Chen Sui-bian, said: "I am confident that, under Dr Keatinge's leadership, the centre will successfully realise its aim to benefit nations across the world."

Dr Keatinge will do much travelling this year as he seeks to expand the cntre's role from being a distinctly Asian research institute to one with a global reputation for excellence. He is keen to see the research at the centre assisting in solving the global food shortage crisis.

For instance, a single improved tomato developed by the centre can provide an individual's full daily vitamin A requirements.

The centre was established in 1971 with the goal of reducing malnutrition and alleviating poverty in developing countries through the improved production and consumption of safe vegetables. Besides its headquarters in Taiwan, it has regional centres in Thailand, India and Tanzania, plus offices in many other developing countries.

The worldwide search for a new director led to 29 applying for the job. The centre's deputy director for administration, Yin-Fu Chang, said Dr Keatinge was selected for his outstanding academic credentials and work experience as a plant physiologist and agronomist.

Dr Keatinge has held senior management positions with the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas in Syria and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria.

Since 2002, he has served as deputy director-general for research at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in India.

He has written more than 140 journal and book articles and edited several books on a spectrum of topics in agriculture and development.

He said that he would continue to strive to maintain a "pro-poor" focus to improve nutrition, food safety and job creation, particularly in Africa and South Asia, and added: "I believe the next decade will bring positive change for the poor in farming communities throughout sub-Saharan Africa and in other parts of the developing world."