b'CHINAS RACE FORBETTER-PERFORMING SEEDIn a neck and neck battle, China is investing in technology like never before.Sonja BegemannWITH NEARLY 1.4 BILLION industry in recent years, said Chinesetechnology adoption than simply buying mouths to feed and an ever-expand- Vice Premier Hu Chunhua Aug. 27, 2021,the company and gaining access to their ing middle and upper-middle class,to Xinhua Official News. He also notedtechnology or all research capability. China is sprinting to grow domestic agthat the development of the foundationI think with time theyll get there, but I production. Growers and producers inof the seed industry isnt solid and is anthink at this moment it would be difficult the country are seeking more efficienturgent focus. to claim that Syngentas value has been weight gain in livestock and higher yield- The country and its officials seek tomaximized in China. I think its very, very ing grain crops. accelerate the creation and cultivation offar from that.As more of the population rises abovekey crops for better production overall.While some surmise theres potential the poverty level, livestock productionTheyre also looking to nurture a batchfor more growth and value maximization, and therefore feed grain production,of modern, competitive seed companiesSyngenta Group reported the first half of needs to rise to meet demand. to increase the supply of improved seed2021 earnings up 24% year-over-year at [Some of Chinas] demand [for grain]varieties, Chunhua added. $14.4 billion. has increased because of the rebound inChina doesnt want to rely on foreignWe are focused on developing and the hog population, said Joseph Glauber,GM seedthat would be a big changelaunching products and services that senior research fellow at the Internationalto look for [going into the future], saidenable farmers to grow good crops Food Policy Research Institute in a recentAndrea Durkin, founding of Sparkplugdespite drought, heat, flooding and high webinar by the National Press FoundationLLC, in the same NPF webinar. Theyrewind or other weather extremes, said (NPF).looking to consolidate and buy assetsSyngenta Group CEO Erik Fyrwald in the China and agricultural companies infrom international consolidation. Q2 earnings press release. Our results the country need better, higher yieldingTheres evidence of this actiondemonstrate that we are meeting the crop varieties faster. More grain meansalready. In February 2016, state-ownedneeds of local growers not only with our more livestock feed and that means moreChemChina bought Syngenta for $43 bil- sustainable products, but also with our citizens have full bellies. And in manylion. With this acquisition came the hopedigitally enabled services.ways, increasing production comes downthe companys long-established researchPests in China are different than the to one input: seed. capabilities and processes would sling- U.S., so more customized varieties are shot the new owners into Chinas seedneeded. Therefore, advancing Chinas Seed Companies Invest ingame in a big way. seed quality is going to take sizeable Acquisitions Five years later, ChemChina andinvestment in research on its own soil.Its not just private companies investingChinese farmers have yet to realize the fullChemChina recently announced it is in better seed, the Chinese governmentpotential of the Syngenta acquisition. seeking $10 billion from a Shanghai IPO expressed a vested interest creating aIts not realistic to think thatfor Syngenta Group. Syngenta Group is better seed supply to bolster food ChemChina can just simply flip an innova- comprised of Syngenta Crop Protection, security. tion switch after buying Syngenta, saidSyngenta Seeds, ADAMA and Syngenta Seeds are the source of agriculturalGarrett Stoerger, partner at Illinois-basedGroup China. It represents one of the larg-production, and China has made sig- Verdant Partners, a transation broker.est global companies in sales of seed and nificant progress in developing its seedTheres a whole lot more to farm-levelcrop protection products.30/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2021'