The Future of Domestic Cash Crop Seeds
Recently, news of Bayer merging with Monsanto has broken out. If the deal is successful, Bayer-Monsanto will become the world’s number one seed and pesticide company. Previously, Dow and DuPont had already integrated, and Sinochem Group is also actively acquiring Swiss Syngenta. The world’s top five agrochemical companies will become three after integration. In addition to the obvious intention of huddling together for warmth, the scientific research capabilities of major companies will be further enhanced. Here I have to say that Sinochem’s acquisition of Syngenta is truly a blessing for China’s agrochemical industry. At least, China’s agricultural resources sector has a certain voice.
In terms of revitalizing the national seed industry, China has made a lot of efforts, increasing investment in scientific research, setting entry thresholds, and supporting the integration and mergers of seed companies. China’s seed industry has developed to a certain extent, and a group of world-renowned seed scientists such as Yuan Longping and Li Denghai have emerged, as well as a group of listed companies such as Longping High-tech and Dunhuang Seed, which have achieved considerable development with the help of capital. However, we should also see that Chinese seed companies still lag behind international giants in advanced breeding methods such as molecular breeding and transgenic breeding. The achievements made by Yuan Longping, Li Denghai, and others are mostly based on the most traditional methods such as hybrid breeding. For many years, various small breeding companies have also mostly adopted this traditional breeding method.
Market laws are the best catalyst for promoting the rapid development of an industry. For the seed industry to develop, a batch of small, low-quality companies with no technological content must die. Government guidance funds must be inclined towards truly innovative and competitive companies, rather than casting the net wide and engaging in egalitarianism.
At this year’s Zhejiang Melon and Vegetable Seed Expo, we also saw that there is a new trend in the development of the seed industry. Seed production is concentrating in companies with R&D strength, and seed marketing is gradually shifting from pure seed sales to providing integrated services such as seedlings and supporting technology to downstream customers. With the further acceleration and integration of land transfer and the further development of professional planting enterprises, seed service companies that provide overall solutions will have better development prospects.
Published at: Jun 4, 2016 · Modified at: Dec 21, 2025
