Guangzhou Agriculture Bureau recently has signed two framework agreements aimed at building the city into an international center in the seed and breeding industries.

The bureau achieved cooperation with South China Agricultural University to set up Guangzhou Innovation Institute, which focuses on modern seed breeding and cultivation, and also signed a 60 billion yuan ($8.7 billion) framework agreement with the Agricultural Bank of China (Guangdong branch) on March 25.

Alongside this substantial financial support, the city also has spared a 5.5 square kilometer area in Dongyong town, Nansha district, to create a seed and breeding industry town within Nansha Free Trade Zone, 3000 mu of which are farmlands, with a particular focus on developing new species.

A seed and breeding industry featured town, covering an area of 5.5 square kilometers, is established within Nansha Free Trade Zone, Guangzhou. [Photo/gzagri.gov.cn]

Guangzhou is one of the first cities to develop such industries, and has grown into an important center for the seeds and seedlings of vegetables, flowers and aquarium fish in China, according to Li Ming, vice-mayor of Guangzhou, who attended the Guangzhou Seed and Breeding Industry Investment Promotion Conference on March 25.

The featured town, based on agriculture, will develop into an integrated place, incorporating research, application, financial services, sightseeing and tourism.

As part of the plan, Guangzhou will set up several platforms for state-level seed technological innovation as well as trading by attracting multinational enterprises and scientific research institutions in the seed industry.

The project currently contains more than 100 items ranging from aquatic products to livestock, and is expected to achieve an output value totaling 500 billion yuan by 2025.

The inaugural meeting of the Guangzhou Seed and Breeding Industry Alliance is held in Guangzhou on March 25. [Photo/gzagri.gov.cn]