Beijing has expanded the number of accredited seed breeders in the hopes of increasing China’s national foot output, as the nation reaches for self-sufficiency to defend against rising geopolitical uncertainty, reports the South China Morning Post. For the first time since 2013, China has enlarged its list of state-sponsored seed breeding and production bases, adding 116 to the existing 100 hubs already operating, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
The government hopes the national bases will supply more than 80% of the seeds needed for crop production by 2025, up from more than 70% in the 2016-20 period, the ministry said in a statement earlier this month.
“This is a concrete move to revitalise the seed industry,” said Li Guoxiang, a fellow at the rural development institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
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