Beijing, Jul 4 (IANS): While stealing peaches from an agricultural institute, three jobless men may have never thought that they were actually taking away the fruit of decade-long reseach of scientists. For them, it was about just another fruit.

The men stole 15 kg of peaches on which the Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute had spent over 10 years cultivating. The fruit was worth an estimated 100,000 yuan ($15,700), China Daily reported.

According to Niu Liang, a researcher at the institute that operates in Henan province under the Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, the peaches from the institute's experimental strains were stolen Monday night.

Niu said the peaches, of nearly 20 varieties, were the brainchild of the institute, which took it over a decade to cultivate.

With the help of his colleagues, Niu managed to catch one of the three suspects in the orchard, the other two escaped.

Li Yonggang, a middle-aged suspect caught by Niu, said: "I really didn't know that the peaches were so expensive."

Niu said he never thought the jobless men would take so many peaches.