Origin Agritech Limited and DuPont Pioneer have announced a commercial licensing agreement to develop new seed technologies for Chinese farmers.

Origin Agritech Limited was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Zhong-Guan-Cun Life Science Park in Beijing. It is China's leading agricultural biotechnology company, specializing in crop seed breeding and genetic improvement, seed production, processing, distribution and related technical services. Origin Agritech's phytase corn was the first transgenic corn to receive the Bio-Safety Certificate from China's Ministry of Agriculture.

DuPont headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware. (Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images)

“Once approved by the Chinese government, these products will help our country’s farmers fight the insects and weeds that prevent their crops from reaching their yield potential,” said Gengchen Han, chairman and CEO, Origin Agritech. “We have cooperated with DuPont Pioneer for several years, and we are pleased to be working with them on this project.”

China’s agriculture landscape is evolving. Farmers are increasingly adopting technologies, such as high-quality hybrid seed, mechanization and data-based decision making.

“DuPont Pioneer is proud to be collaborating with Origin Agritech to help increase crop yields and food security in China,” said Paul Schickler, president, DuPont Pioneer. “When we entered the Chinese market nearly 20 years ago, it was to collaborate with government, academics and local companies such as Origin Agritech to provide products and services that offer the best choices for farmers.”

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DuPont Pioneer is the largest multinational seed corn company in China and will continue to develop its popular hybrids for the China market in accordance with current Ministry of Agriculture regulations.

Origin Agritech has applied for patents and regulatory approval in other countries, including the United States, to advance its global strategy to not only serve Chinese farmers, but also meet the needs of farmers around the world.

Source: Origin Agritech