Two Chinese corporations have announced major investments in seed production, in line with a national governmental plan to expand local self-sufficiency in producing seedlings for aquaculture.
Guangdong Haid is building a new facility in Yuncheng, in the inland province of Shanxi, through its seedlings-focused subsidiary Hai Xing Agricultural Group. The facility will produce seedlings for the freshwater aquaculture sector in a government-driven economic development effort for the inland, more economically disadvantaged province.
Hai Xing Chairman Jiang Xiewu told local distributors and farmers in a recent letter his company plans to provide training in the utilization of its carp and perch seedlings, which he said will work optimally with the company’s aquafeed. The firm is also planning to process fish at its Yuncheng facilities, according to its agreement with local government.
Speaking at the unveiling of the name plate, a traditional event for Chinese corporations, Yuncheng City Deputy Communist Party Secretary Chang Manzeng said the new facility will “digitize” local fisheries and upskill the local aquaculture sector while also “contributing to the government goal of ecological rectification of the Yellow River delta.”
In coastal Shandong Province, Mingbo Aquatic is investing CNY 300 million (USD 45 million EUR 39 million) into a dozen “recirculating water” sheds that it expects will produce 10 million seedlings annually for the offshore aquaculture industry. Mingbo Aquatic CEO Li Bo said the new facility will provide “technologically superior” seedlings for the expansion of offshore marine ranches, an initiative being supported by the government of Shandong Province as an economic engine.
The central government’s goal of making China more efficient in seedling production was cited by local government officials officiating at the launch of construction on the new Mingbo facility. The increase of local self-sufficiency in seedlings – for and alongside the expansion of “sea ranching” aquaculture – was listed in the most recent “Number One Document,” a compendium released every January by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture as an outline of government priorities to producers and investors.
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