Seed China Monthly Report

Market analysis: On 8 April, 2025, MARA released the "Public Notice on the Preliminary Review of Varieties Approved at the Ninth Variety Review Meeting of the Fifth National Crop Variety Approval Committee", announcing the preliminary review approval of 97 genetically modified (GM) corn varieties and 2 genetically modified (GM) soybean varieties. On 25 March, according to the latest agricultural dispatch from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Jiangxi Province, the spring farming production situation in Jiangxi Province is stable, with a seedling cultivation area reaching 632,000 hectares, and the intention for early rice planting area is 1,206,700 hectares.

Company dynamics: On 8 April, 2025, CITIC Group's plan to increase its capital in Longping High-Tech through its subsidiary CITIC Agriculture was approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission. On 10 April, 2025, Jiangsu Surun Seed Industry Co., Ltd. issued the "2024 Annual Rights Distribution Plan Announcement", proposing to distribute a cash dividend of USD1.39 million (RMB10.00 million) to all shareholders.

Trade analysis: In Feb. 2025, China's import volume of seeds of soybean, corn and vegetables decreased by 44.76% MoM to 104.61 tonnes, while the export volume rose by 6.92% MoM to 45.366 tonnes. In Jan.–March 2025, China imported approximately 21.79 million tonnes of grain, droping by 42.01% YoY. In Mar. alone, 4.94 million tonnes of grain were imported, down 29.32% MoM..

Policy: MARA issued a notice on March 31, arranging the "Green Sword for Grain Safety" law enforcement action for 2025, focusing on rectifying illegal activities in the seed industry. On 30 March, 2025, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China issued the "Plan for Gradually Transforming Permanent Basic Farmland into High-Standard Cropland", specifying the construction goals and tasks for 2030 and 2035.

Variety: On 21 April, 2025, the Department of Seed Industry Management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced that 98 new major crop varieties had been approved in Shandong Province. These varieties cover four major categories: cotton, rice, soybeans, and corn, among which corn accounts for 73.5%. On 22 April, 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Anhui Province issued the first batch of announcements on the approval of main crop varieties in Anhui Province for 2025, approving 43 wheat varieties.

The USD/RMB exchange rate in this Report is USD1.00=CNY7.1775 on 1 April, 2025, sourced from the People's Bank of China.