Chinese scientists are developing new strains of protein-rich corn that could replace soybeans in animal feed in an effort to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign grains, particularly from the US.
Professor Yan Jianbing, President of Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) in Wuhan said that the country is researching promising varieties to replace soybeans. He said that just 1 percentage point increase in the protein content of corn could reduce China’s demand for foreign soybeans by as much as 8 million tons due to the country’s huge corn production, which will reach roughly 290 million tons in 2024.
The professor and his team has developed several corn varieties with an average protein content of 10%, two percentage points higher than conventional corn. More than 667,000 hectares of this new corn have already been planted, according to the expert, for whom the main solution to the food problem “is technology.” In recent years, China has been forced to import large quantities of soybeans to feed its growing livestock industry as consumers have adopted diets increasingly rich in meat and dairy products.
With the ongoing tariff wars with the US, Canada and Europe, the Chinese authorities are seeking to make the agricultural sector more resilient to potential fluctuations in international trade and avoid dependence on foreign imports.
Chinese soybean imports account for about 60% of the total volume of global soybean trade, and the US is one of the country’s largest suppliers, along with Brazil. China’s imported 105 million tons of soybeans in 2024, most of which used as protein feed for livestock and poultry.
China has recently prioritized on achieving self-sufficiency in staple grains such as rice and wheat, where it has world-leading production technology, but the unit yield of its corn and soybeans is only 60% of that of the US.
In 2024, China produced 706.5 million tons of grains and it aims to further boost its yield and quality, via promotion of GMOs under strict supervision, as well as the use of AI and sophisticated smart farming and technology.
