China food security: domestic seed industry plagued by lack of innovation, officials warn
- Seeds bred in China are generally deemed of low quality and low efficiency, while the industry suffers from a lack of innovation, Hubei officials say
- Domestically produced seeds of corn and soybean are ‘more than 20 years behind’ the United States in terms of yields, commentary warns
Chinese officials have once again sounded the alarm about “over-reliance” on seed imports, as food security continues to grow as a national priority.
China’s seed industry lacks competitiveness in major vegetables such as corn and “seriously relies on imports” for most non-staple food, a group of officials from central China said in a recently published article.
“High-end vegetable seeds from overseas are sold by number, but home-grown vegetable seeds are sold by weight. The gap in their market value is huge,” officials from Hubei province’s seed administration wrote.
Dubbed the “chips of agriculture”, seeds bred in China are generally deemed of low quality and low efficiency, while the industry suffers from a lack of innovation and is losing its edge in the global market, said the article published last week in the country’s top agricultural journal, China Seed Industry.
China has vowed to boost support for seed breeding technologies to ensure food security amid worsening ties with the US – where most of its food and seed imports come from – and prepare for the increasing impact of climate change, urbanisation and shifting diets.