Intl seed expo takes place in Qingdao WCNA, driving seed industry revitalization

The 17th China International Seed Expo opens in Qingdao WCNA on Sept 26. [Photo/WeChat account: qdxihaianfabu]

The 17th China International Seed Expo opened in Qingdao West Coast New Area (Qingdao WCNA) on Sept 26. As a pivotal year for China's five-year seed industry revitalization plan, the event highlighted collaborative efforts in innovation, supply assurance, and regulation.

The expo, alongside the 22nd national seed trade fair, continues to play a vital role in promoting advanced varieties and fostering industry growth.

Serving as a national platform for policy releases, achievement exhibition, and industry matchmaking, the expo featured key policy interpretations, seed supply-demand analyses, and field demonstrations of advanced varieties.

With over 2,000 exhibitors — including 30 national seed matrix enterprises and 75 integrated breeding firms — and 20,000 participants from research, finance, and distribution, the expo underscored China's push to bridge gaps in germplasm utilization, variety breeding, and enterprise support.

Qingdao WCNA, leveraging its coastal-agricultural advantages, has achieved a seed industry output of nearly 1 billion yuan ($140.16 million) in 2024. The coverage rate of improved crop varieties remained stable at over 98 percent, the rate of improved livestock and poultry breeds exceeded 95 percent, and the contribution rate of agricultural technology reached 78.9 percent, all significantly higher than the national average. 

Moving forward, the area aims to lead in biotech applications and cultivate agricultural futuristics, accelerating the construction of the "Qingdao international seed capital" and writing a new chapter in seed industry innovation.