Several of the world's leading seed companies, including Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, Limagrain, and KWS, signed agreements to participate in the fifth China International Import Expo on April 28.

The fifth CIIE, which will take place in November in Shanghai, will introduce a new crop seed industry subsection in its food and agricultural products exhibition area. This subsection will feature seed varieties for field crops, fruits, vegetables and flowers, seed coating agents, pesticides, fertilizers, farm equipment, and seed breeding and cultivation technologies.

Liu Fuxue, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, said expo organizers will invite professional visitors who are agricultural technicians or from domestic agricultural companies, research institutes and service organizations, hold a high-level forum with the China Seed Association, and work with financial institutions to introduce seed industry-oriented products during this year's expo.

He added that the subsection is expected to further open up the Chinese market to global seed companies, push forward technological innovation and industry upgrading, as well as help with China's efforts to vitalize the seed industry.

The subsection will also accelerate the introduction of high-quality seed varieties and advanced technologies, said Jiang Xiexin, vice-president and secretary general of the China Seed Association.

The association, which established a partnership with the CIIE Bureau that same day, will provide exhibitors at the subsection with assistance regarding media promotion, booth design, visitor invitation and business cooperation, added Jiang.

Vice-President of Syngenta Group China Wang Hong said the company will showcase its new technologies and products at the fifth CIIE. Syngenta is one of the world's largest developers and producers of seeds, owns advanced technologies and mass production capacity, and has an edge in digital agriculture, according to Wang.

By Zhao Luyang