Chinese authorities are looking to expand the trials of genetically modified corn(maize)and soybeans with an eye on accelerating their breeding and commercialization,report national media.Work is under way to expand a pilot project that started in late 2021,with regulatory bodies aiming to widen testing across 20 counties in five provinces – Hebei,Jilin,Sichuan,Yunnan,and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.In a statement,the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs reveals that GM corn and soybeans have delivered”outstanding”results during trials in terms of resistance to insects as well as herbicides,besides improving yields by some 6% and 12%,respectively.Consequently,it notes that efforts are to be undertaken during the year to produce GM seeds of these crops in the province of Gansu.At the same time,the government intends to enhance its supervision of the GM crops sector to ensure food safety,observing that”safety is the foundation and precondition for the industrialization of genetically modified varieties”.
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