China completes germplasm resources survey, aims to reduce dependence on imported seeds

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠China has completed a comprehensive survey of agricultural germplasm resources in the first half of 2024, paving the way for its seed and animal germplasm industries to reduce reliance on imports and enhance supplies, with strategic plans to bolster self-reliance and control over germplasm resources by 2025.

Germplasm resources -- genetic material used for animal or plant breeding -- are strategic assets essential for ensuring stable and secure supplies of grain and other important agricultural products. Agricultural germplasm resources primarily encompass crops, livestock, poultry, and aquatic species.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China has made significant strides this year by prioritizing urgently needed agricultural varieties.

The country has intensified efforts to accurately identify germplasm resources, breed new varieties, support leading seed enterprises, and strengthen intellectual property protection in the seed industry. These initiatives have led to foundational and landmark achievements in revitalizing the seed industry.

In the first half of this year, the protection of germplasm resources achieved historic breakthroughs with the general survey of agricultural germplasm resources completed. The survey collected 139,000 new crop germplasm samples and 1.19 million livestock and aquatic genetic materials. Together with the previously preserved resources, China now holds the world's largest collection of agricultural germplasm resources.          "The new national crop germplasm resource bank and the marine fisheries germplasm resource bank are now fully operational. The new livestock germplasm resource bank and freshwater fisheries germplasm resource bank will be completed next year, further strengthening China's strategic capacity to preserve agricultural germplasm resources, and meeting the nation's development needs for the next 30 to 50 years," said Yang Haisheng, deputy director of the Seed Industry Management Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Innovations in the animal germplasm industry have also progressed. By the end of June, domestic white feather broiler chickens and Pacific white shrimp had captured more than 25 percent and 35 percent of their respective markets, indicating a gradually reduced reliance on imported sources.

The seeds industry has meanwhile seen rapid progression in a batch of varieties including soybeans with high-oil and high-yield and corn for dense planting, as well as machine-harvestable and salt-tolerant varieties.

The competitiveness of leading enterprises has significantly improved, with a focus on developing 270 key national seed enterprises. These companies now cultivate over 60 percent of newly approved national varieties.

National seed supply capacity has also been enhanced, with the national-level bases having increased their seed supply capacity to over 75 percent across the country, and seed quality consistently maintaining a qualification rate of over 98 percent. Additionally, all 31 provinces in the country have established disaster relief and emergency seed reserves systems.

Progress has also been made in cleaning up the seed market. This year, a special campaign was launched to crack down on the illegal online sale of seeds. For three consecutive years, the number of seed-related disputes nationwide has declined.

"Looking ahead, we will intensify our efforts to achieve self-reliance and innovation in seed industry technology, ensuring the autonomy and control of seed sources. We will accelerate the implementation of the seed industry revitalization plan, aiming for another series of landmark achievements by 2025, and work to shift from isolated breakthroughs to comprehensive advancements in revitalizing the seed industry," Yang concluded.

China completes germplasm resources survey, aims to reduce dependence on imported seeds

The global energy crunch and its impacts on Southeast Asia are driving efforts to link the power grids of ASEAN member states, with officials and analysts saying the push could strengthen energy security and accelerate the shift to renewables.

For decades, the idea of an interconnected ASEAN power grid has been on the regional agenda. The current crisis in the wake of wars in Iran and other Gulf states has added urgency, highlighting both the region's diverse energy resources and its vulnerabilities.

Some countries in the region have abundant natural gas or hydropower, others hold vast solar potential, while countries like Singapore rely almost entirely on imports. Even power-producing nations at times face shortages, making cross-border supply an attractive solution.

"It will help us to strengthen our energy security. And of course, a diversified and cheaper supply of energy will boost our regional economic integration and economy. So I think everyone benefits from this," said Chheang Vannarith, chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly Advisory Council.

Malaysia, as ASEAN chair last year, pressed for stronger commitments. Analysts say the current crisis is sharpening focus on the issue.

"It is definitely a wake-up call. It acts as a catalyst. It is also our hope that the Philippines, as the chair of ASEAN this year, and given the circumstances that we are in today with the global energy crisis and the global supply crisis, that this agenda is put at the forefront of the ASEAN discussion," said Amir Fareed Raheem, geo-economist at KRA Group, an ASEAN-focused public affairs and political risk consultancy.

Even as the idea gains momentum, major challenges remain ahead in terms of agreeing on regulations, technical standards and pricing. Further out still are the more ambitious proposals, such as undersea cables to transmit hydropower from northern Malaysia to Singapore and beyond.

Despite the lingering questions, tangible progress is being made. Since 2022, a flagship pilot project has enabled hydropower from Laos to flow through Thailand and Malaysia to Singapore. An agreement signed earlier this year will double its maximum capacity.

"Eleven countries, [with] different systems, different pricing mechanisms. It has to be tested in smaller groupings first before it is scaled up to the whole ASEAN operating system," said Raheem.

With countries striving to expand renewable energy and the crisis straining supplies, consensus is building to move the ASEAN power grid from long-standing aspiration to practical reality.

ASEAN power grid integration gathers pace amid energy crisis