China has issued licences to 26 domestic seed companies to produce, distribute and sell genetically modified maize and soybean seeds in certain provinces. The companies listed in a notice from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs include Beijing Dabeinong Technology (DBN) and China National Seed Group, now owned by the Syngenta Group, as well as companies operating in the major grain-producing provinces of Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin and Inner Mongolia. The announcement represents the first batch of companies to receive seed production and operation licences for GM maize and soybeans in the country. China undertook large-scale pilot trials in 2023 (see AgbioNews Aug 31, 2023). According to reports, an estimated 670,000 hectares of GM maize will be planted in the country in 2024, more than doubling the total planted in 2023.