China will increase GM corn acreage by 4-5 times this year

This year, China plans to plant four to five times more genetically modified (GM) corn than last year, according to analysts and industry representatives, Reuters reports.

This means an acceleration of biotechnology adoption, which was previously hampered by tight government controls, public skepticism and mixed test results.

After decades of caution, China has stepped up its approval of new varieties of GM seeds over the past two years, positioning biotechnology as a way to boost food security.

According to CITICS Research and three seed industry representatives, the area under GM corn in China will increase from about 670 thousand hectares to 3.3-4.1 million hectares in 2025.

Although the initiative is not directly related to the trade conflict between the US and China, reducing dependence on corn imports could give Beijing new leverage in negotiations. Last year, the US supplied 15% of total corn imports to China.

Despite the growth in plantings, GM corn still covers only about 7% of the country’s corn acreage, while in the US or Brazil this figure exceeds 90%.

Although China could quickly reach similar figures, the government is still acting cautiously due to entrenched skepticism from farmers and consumers. In addition, strict controls on seed sales make planning difficult and have led to a surplus of seeds among domestic producers.

Some farmers, in search of higher yields, are already using illegal GM seeds or hybrid varieties, sources said. The activity of illegal GM seeds in the northeastern regions demonstrates the real demand for modern varieties.

The Ministry of Agriculture has already called on the provinces to tighten control over the illegal trafficking of GM seeds.

According to Trivium China analyst Ewen Rogers Pei, in the transition from pilot projects to large-scale crops, yields may initially drop because farmers will not be able to pay as much attention to each plant. However, over time, they will adapt to the new varieties.

“If the new varieties show better results, the crops will expand. There will be no going back,” summarized Pei.

Tags: China, corn