China Shows Progress in GM Crop Approvals and Plantings

China continues to push for agricultural efficiency with the approval of large-scale, commercial planting of genetically modified (GM) crops. To date, GM soybeans, maize, cotton, and papaya have been approved for commercial planting in the country. In 2023, 37 GM maize varieties and 14 GM soybean varieties have been approved for planting. In March, 27 GM maize and 3 GM soybean varieties were added to the list of approved GM crops.

A report by the state-owned Securities Times newspaper, based on industry sources, indicated that roughly 267,000 hectares (660,000 acres) of GM crops were planted in China last year as part of trial programs.

While licenses issued to breeders in December by the Ministry of Agriculture restrict approved GM crop varieties to specific growing areas within Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, and Hubei provinces, the ministry previously allowed trial planting in a wider region. This broader area encompassed 20 counties across five provinces: Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Sichuan, and Yunnan in 2023.

With the positive results of the commercial planting trials, analysts expect significant growth in the GM food market in the country in the next few years.

Read the SCMP article for more details.