China plans to issue biosafety certificates for home-grown GM soy and corn crops

Analyst says move may signal policy change in central government, paving way to commercial production of GMOs

Source at Chinese developer of GM strains says approval will be ‘significant progress’

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Crops are central to China’s trade policy and relations with the US, and approval for home-grown GMOs would be a significant development, analysts say. Photo: AP

Published: 2:32pm, 31 Dec 2019Updated: 1:10pm, 15 Feb 2020

China’s agriculture ministry said on Monday that it planned to issue biosafety certificates for a domestically grown, genetically modified (GM) soybean crop and two corn crops, in a move towards commercialising GM grain production in the world’s biggest market.

China will grant the certificate to the SHZD32-01 soybean developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, provided there was no objection during a 15-day period soliciting public opinion, the ministry said in a statement.

If approved, it will become China’s first GM soybean crop to receive such a certificate, a first step towards commercial production.

Beijing-based technology group Dabeinong’s DBN9936 corn and a pest resistant corn variety known as “double-stacked 12-5” developed by Hangzhou Ruifeng Biotech and Zhejiang University were also expected to attain the certificate.

Beijing may be about to take a big step in crop production, analysts say. Photo: Xinhua

China has spent billions of dollars researching GM crops, but has held back from commercial production of any food grains because of consumer concerns about their safety.