China’s GM-corn trial yields mixed results

viewing biotechnology as a key strategy to enhance food security. The area planted with GM-corn in China is expected to increase to 40-50 million mu (approximately 3.3 million hectares) in 2025, up from about 10 million mu in 2024, according to analysts at CITICS Research and unnamed sources in China’s seed industry. Analysts note that increasing GM corn cultivation could reduce China’s reliance on imports, providing Beijing with leverage in its tariff disputes with U.S. President Donald Trump. Last year, the U.S. supplied 15% of China’s imported corn. Despite the expansion, GM corn currently accounts for only 7% of China’s total corn planting area, compared to over 90% in agricultural powerhouses like the U.S. and Brazil. China could rapidly reach similar levels by adopting genetic engineering technologies, but Beijing remains cautious amid entrenched consumer and farmer skepticism. The country annually imports over 100 million tons of mostly GM corn and soybeans, primarily for ...