China is backing the commercialization of genetically modified soybeans over the next five years, as it attempts to improve its agriculture industry by increasing crop output as the top soy importer and consumer of the world, Reuters reported.

According to the South China Morning Post, China has laid out specific plans in its recent five-year plan. The government on Monday announced its plan to push forward with "the commercialization of new pest-resistant cotton, pest-resistant corn, and herbicide-resistant soya beans."

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Many have shown support for the plan to grow genetically engineered soya beans as China is also attempting to remodel its crop structure by encouraging farmers to switch from planting corn to soya beans and to rotate between crops.  

Although a lump-sum of money has been allocated to research and building technology for genetically modified crops, China has still not given the green light to the cultivation of any biotech food crops such as corn and soybeans.

The cultivation of genetically modified soybeans could be fraught with major hurdles not only from consumers protesting over potential health risks but also from GMO-free soya beans sellers.  

"Domestic soya beans are extremely desired and trusted by consumers for food," Liu Denggao, vice president of the Chinese Soya Bean Industry Association, said.

However, genetically modified corn is likely to be rolled out first as the government previously said that it would unveil biotech derivatives of industrial crops before proceeding to food crops like soya, Huang Dafang, a professor from the Biotechnology Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said.

"Corn is more important from a production point of view," he added.

Tagssoybeans, soya beans, corn, agriculture, Genetically modified crops, GMO