Chinese vice premier stresses seed industry vitalization

Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a teleconference on promoting the vitalization of the seed industry in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

BEIJING, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua Friday called for solid efforts to fully implement the action plan on vitalizing the seed industry to ensure the country's food security and initiative in agriculture modernization.

Seeds are the source of agricultural production, and China has made significant progress in developing its seed industry in recent years, Hu said.

He noted, however, that the development foundation of the seed industry is still not solid. He said that it is urgent and necessary to promote the vitalization of the sector and ensure that China's germplasm resources are independent and controllable.

China would accelerate the cultivation of several superior species and continue to strengthen basic research and make breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies, Hu said.

He also called for nurturing a batch of modern seed companies with competitiveness, increasing the steady supply of improved seed varieties, and improving the legal system for the seed market.