Seed China Monthly Report

Market analysis: The 2024–2025 corn seed selling season ended early due to oversupply and weak demand, with high return rates and prices drops . Companies need to enhance variety competitiveness and innovate in breeding to meet market demands; In 2024, China's summer grain harvest achieved a bumper crop, laying a solid foundation for stable annual grain production, and providing strong support for consolidating and enhancing the upward trend of the economy, and continuously promoting high-quality development. The supporting role of leading varieties such as Jimai 22, Zhengmai 1860, Jimai 44, and Zhongmai 578 is prominent.

Company dynamics: Major seed industry players collaborate to advance corn breeding, hybrid rice development, and the oil-seed industry chain.

Trade analysis: In May 2025, China's import volume of seeds of soybean, corn and vegetables decreased by 33.29% MoM to 1,058.360 tonnes, and the export volume droped by 50.02% MoM to 425.750 tonnes; In the first five months of 2025, China's grain imports saw increases and decreases, with soybean imports surging and corn and wheat imports significantly declining, but overall remained stable with a slight increase.

Policy: The National Crop Seed Standardization Technical Committee issued implementation guidance for three crop seed-related national standards; On 28 May, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Jiangsu Province issued a notice to advance the implementation of the integrated pilot subsidy project for the development and promotion of major rice and wheat varieties.

Variety: The seed industry revitalization enters its fifth year with corn varieties and genetic modification technology advancing, while corn prices face fluctuations and seed production costs remain high. The corn seed industry is undergoing a new round of reshuffling with opportunities and challenges.; On 6 June, MARA has approved 196 major crop varieties in Henan Province, comprising 86 wheat, 82 corn, 9 soybean, 10 rice, and 9 cotton varieties.

The USD/RMB exchange rate in this Report is USD1.00=CNY7.1869 on 3 June, 2025, sourced from the People's Bank of China.