China food security: Beijing moves to ‘revitalise’ seed industry as coronavirus, geopolitical tensions ramp up supply fears
- China in April enlarged its list of state-sponsored seed breeding and production bases for the first time since 2013
- Development of the seed industry is viewed as essential to ensuring food security and reducing reliance on imports
China has taken another step towards unclogging a bottleneck in national food output by expanding the number of accredited seed breeders, as the country pushes for self-sufficiency in the face of rising geopolitical uncertainty.
For the first time since 2013, China has enlarged its list of state-sponsored seed breeding and production bases, adding 116 to the existing 100 hubs already operating, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
The government hopes the national bases will supply more than 80 per cent of the seeds needed for crop production by 2025, up from more than 70 per cent in the 2016-20 period, the ministry said in a statement earlier this month.
“This is a concrete move to revitalise the seed industry,” said Li Guoxiang, a fellow at the rural development institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
China’s [agricultural] resources are limited … the only area that can make breakthroughs now is seeds
The expansion of accredited breeders will encourage more research and development (R&D) and give China a higher tolerance for failure, he said. It will also help meet the diverse requirement for seeds in different regions.
“China’s [agricultural] resources are limited … the only area that can make breakthroughs now is seeds,” he said.
The list was unveiled following a fresh call by President Xi Jinping this month for China to continue working towards an independent seed industry.