China's Ministry of Agriculture has approved 37 varieties of GM corn and 14 varieties of soybeans for commercial planting, as part of China's effort to increase production of these crops and reduce dependence on foreign supplies. The approved list, which includes varieties developed by Chinese seed companies such as Syngenta Group and Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group, will be available for public comment until November 15. While the area allocated for planting GM crops is currently small, these seeds could potentially boost yields in China by as much as 12%, according to the ministry.