BEIJING, China (Reuters) — China has approved 27 genetically modified corn seed varieties and three GM soybean varieties, expanding its list of approvals as it aims to increase the development and planting of high-yielding crops.
The varieties approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in a recent notice include seed varieties owned by Dabeinong and China National Seed Group, a unit of Syngenta Group.
China has for years moved cautiously on the deployment of GM crops, but in January said it will expand the planting of GM soybeans and corn after pilot projects showed good results in improving yields and lowering costs compared to conventional types of seeds.
The world’s biggest buyer of soybeans and corn aims to raise domestic production through higher yielding seeds and reduce its grain imports of more than 100 million tonnes a year.
