Chinese seed industry suffers a monopoly on foreign investment

From a layman who does not understand anything to a large grain production nationwide in 2008, he has recently been elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the Fifth CPPCC in Pudong New Area, Shanghai from a low-lying land with no crops to a modern farm with an area of ​​6,000 mu and an annual output of over 2,700 tons. Qiao Yong Zhang Yongxiang is Nanhui's famous "seed king." As the only large-scale private seed enterprise in Shanghai, Zhang Yongxiang provided all hybrid rice varieties and wheat varieties to the Pudong New Area. Shanghai Hybrid Rice also has 3/5 for his species.

The seed industry that has touched the lifeblood of China’s agricultural development is currently suffering from the “stepping” of multinational corporations. In 2012, the Central No. 1 document locked the theme for the first time as “agricultural science and technology innovation”. In this regard, Zhang Yongxiang told reporters: “In the case of foreign investment’s full-scale invasion of the domestic seed industry, I always have a sense of responsibility and I hope to make the company bigger and make its own contributions to the country’s grain production. This is inseparable from its own Efforts and government support."

Raise the barriers to entry for local seed industry

Qiaobao: There are currently more than 70 foreign seed companies entering China. How can our local seed companies counter the strong pressure of multinational companies?

Zhang Yongxiang: In China, although foreign seed companies are unable to fully control, foreign seed giants have strong R&D capabilities and achieved a monopoly of foreign capital, such as the overall market share of Duixian Pioneer's Xianyu 335 in Jilin Province. Up to 85%. It takes a “curve monopoly” path in the Chinese market. It is first bred by the domestic seed research company and then handed over to the joint venture company in China for sale. The United States has a number of joint ventures in China, Monsanto, Singapore's Yihai Kerry grain and oil project settled in Zhengzhou, as well as Swiss Syngenta, France, Lima Gran, etc. have "researched" China's seed market in different ways. Since 70% of our seeds are controlled by foreign capital, it is not alarmist to say that China's seed industry is facing a “disaster”.

In April last year, the Central Government promulgated the "State Council's Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Modern Crop Seed Industry," and pointed out that the crop seed industry is a national strategic and basic core industry, and it is the basis for promoting the long-term stable development of agriculture and safeguarding national food security. In 2012, the Central Document No. 1 also set the theme for agricultural science and technology innovation. Now the seed capital of the seed company has been raised to 30 million yuan, and it may be further raised to 100 million yuan in the future. This eliminates many small seed companies and focuses on building the seed carrier "industry carrier" through industry reshuffle. I think this is conducive to the development of local seed enterprises.

Qiaobao: As Shanghai's only large-scale privately-owned seed-producing enterprise, it is necessary to adhere to independent innovation and to serve the country based on Shanghai. Does it feel that responsibility and pressure coexist?

Zhang Yongxiang: In the case of foreign capitals “all-invasive” domestic seed industry, I always have a sense of responsibility. I hope to expand my business and make my own contribution to the country’s grain production increase. The state now encourages the seed enterprises of “integration of breeding, breeding, and pushing” to give priority support to seed enterprises with breeding capacity, high market share, and large-scale operations, and to enhance their innovation capabilities. As far as my business is concerned, I have always insisted on "bridging" (breeding) and "pushing" (promoting). At present, I own 6,000 mu of land and can produce 4000 mu of land. The area for hybrid rice seed production is 3,000 mu, accounting for about 80%, and the rest is conventional rice. I provided all the hybrid rice varieties and wheat varieties to Pudong New Area. All three varieties of hybrid rice in Shanghai were also planted by me. Each year, we also provided hundreds of thousands of catties for the neighboring provinces and cities. My area of ​​hybrid rice has been expanded to 300,000 mu and conventional rice is 100,000 mu. Calculating the economic benefits of using 1,500 yuan of food per mu of land, I have also made some contribution to the national food supply. However, companies lack "education" (cultivation). Hybrid rice is always bred every year. Breeding requires its own research and development institution and patent application. As a private seed enterprise, we are not as economically powerful as state-owned enterprises. If we are to become bigger and stronger, we must rely on government support, including financial support, land subsidies, and preferential policies, in addition to our constant exploration. I think that whether it is state-owned or private enterprises, it should be treated equally.

"Wind profits" rice or because of the excellent seed

Qiaobao: Heilongjiang Wuchang Rice can be sold for more than 100 yuan per kilogram after it has been packaged, and the processing company purchases rice from the farmer at a price of 2 yuan per kilogram. How do you view this phenomenon of “profiteering”? Zhang Yongxiang: Generally speaking, the quality of rice above 5 yuan per catty is very good. Sold to a hundred pounds, this rice may be hiding good varieties. Although farmers produce rice and only receive small benefits, it is very easy to “grind and hurt people”. However, the quality of northeastern rice is really good. My grain is taken to the northeast for planting, where the rice produced is better than here, which is related to the local climate, geographical location and environment. Wuchangmi is suspected of over packaging and speculation, but I think its variety is better than normal rice. Qiaobao: Some people call you "Nanhui Yuan Longping," but you always have low praise for these praises. Zhang Yongxiang: My achievements must not be compared with Yuan Longping. Yuan Longping not only cultivates hybrid rice, but also can convert the research results into patents and scientific research achievements, playing an important role in increasing grain production in China, and also making important contributions to solving the world food shortage. Although the nature of my work is the same as that of Yuan Longping, cutting leaves, drawing flour, pollinating, sowing... Every procedure has to be experienced, but his height I think I can't reach. I also hope to learn from his scientific nature and be able to translate the results of his own practice into scientific research results.

Turning to Farmers to Increase the Yield per Mu by 30%

Qiaobao: You did not systematically study agricultural knowledge. Why did you smell the business opportunities in the seed industry? Zhang Yongxiang: I used to open a hardware store before, and later switched to work as a farmer. A friend said that this person is interesting to me. Everyone is a peasant who changes jobs to other bosses. You are another boss who has switched to work as a farmer. In fact, I also counted myself back to my ancestral home. My family was a peasant for generations, but my peasant is different from my ancestors. I originally contracted 136 mu of farmland in Laogang Town Seed Farm to grow melon and spent a lot of manpower and resources to cultivate, but the benefits were not very good. At that time, the seeds of Xigua melon were purchased abroad. One grain was a few dollars, and the price was very high. This made me realize that thoroughbreds are very important. I also found that although the farmers in the town had dealt with the seeds for decades, they couldn't improve the yields of the land anyway. However, the superior quality of hybrid seeds can only be preserved for one generation, and the traits afterwards are greatly degraded. Therefore, the seeds of crops that were planted in the first year cannot be used in the second year. Farmers must buy seeds every year. This makes me think that there is an industry that will have demand every year and will make money. Qiaobao: How do you translate "science and technology are primary productive forces" into reality during the breeding process of more than ten years?

Zhang Yongxiang: In the past decade or more, I have constantly improved cultivation techniques. The invention of the “rice rice slicing machine” facilitates pollination of rice, the “rice pollination machine” reduces the labor-intensive consumption, and the “mechanical seeder” shortens the planting time and simplifies Seeding procedure. These are my patented products. It is because of mechanization and scientific seed production that my hybrid rice production has increased by 30%. In the same land, the cost of my mechanical seed production is 1,500 yuan, while the cost of artificial seed production is 2,000 yuan, and the cost is 25% lower than others. I believe that only by relying on scientific innovation can we advance the construction of modern agriculture.

With good seeds, increase the income by 4,000 yuan per household

Qiaobao: The kind of farmer is "eat on the heavens." Have you ever thought of giving up at the most difficult time? Zhang Yongxiang: I usually go out every morning at 5 o'clock in the morning, and even at 2 or 3 o'clock in the busy season, we have to go out. This is what farmers do. Due to the lack of relevant scientific knowledge, there have been mistakes in the use of pesticides in the cultivation of rice varieties, which led to the death of a large number of rice and a large area of ​​grain production. When cultivating another rice variety, the heading of rice encountered a plague of insects and reduced production. Pollination season in 2007, continuous rainfall, the normal year harvest per mu is 400 kilos, that year only 180 jin per mu, watched more than 300 million yuan soup. However, the District Agriculture Commission and the Municipal Commission of Agriculture are very supportive of me. The experts and professors of hybrid rice at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences often come to the base for guidance. In the process of my entrepreneurship, I encountered a lot of disasters. The county agriculture committee and the township agricultural office are all very concerned about me. They have given me the right medicine to minimize my losses. So even when it was the most difficult time, I never thought about giving up.

Qiaobao: I have heard that many local people in the surrounding area “have touched Hongguangguang”. Zhang Yongxiang: Draught people do not forget to dig wells, rich people did not forget the folks. I asked some farmers in the surrounding area to work in their own farmland. Now the houses of several hundred households in the three surrounding villages have an average income of more than 4,000 yuan per household. It can be said that the problem of rural surplus labor has been solved. Now many farmers in the surrounding areas are growing my cultivation. The thoroughbred.