Taking place in Sanya in China’s southern Hainan Province from December 2nd to the 6th, the 2024 Asian Seed Congress is a key gathering of domestic and international industry representatives working together to explore positive development strategies for the Asian seed industry. Regularly held in an Asia-Pacific country or region since 1994, the 29th Congress is the first time in over a decade that China has had the honor of playing host.

Providing a platform for seed companies and institutions from all over the world to discuss technology, display seeds and seedlings, and conduct business negotiations, the Congress is currently one of the largest and most important seed industry activities worldwide, it has even been likened to the equivalent of the seed industry’s “Asian Games.” 

In order to help them better understand Sanya’s construction as China’s“Seed Breeding Silicon Valley,” guests to this year's Congress will make field visits to local sites including top seed companies, the Smart Agriculture Demonstration Base, the Smart Nanfan Contract Research Organization (CRO) Laboratory, National Modern Agriculture Industrial Park, and the Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Industry Promotion Center.

 

Aerial photo of Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City. (Photo: Hainan Daily App)

Via introducing experts to Chinese seed industry policies and those specifically related to the Hainan Free Trade Port, the Congress will help promote exchanges and cooperation in the seed industries of China and other Asian-Pacific countries and will establish a new mechanism of open cooperation and sharing of mutual interests. This year's conference has also specially added a seminar on Chinese investment opportunities.

Reflecting the conference’s international appeal and the high degree of attraction of the Chinese seed market to foreign enterprises, nearly 70% of the record breaking 1,524 registered attendees from 52 countries and regions at this year’s Congress are coming from overseas.

With the vigorous development of the Chinese seed industry, China has played an important role in promoting the development of the Asian-Pacific seed industry. Holding the conference in Sanya is not only highly beneficial to the transformation of this beach resort into a “Seed Breeding Silicon Valley” and helpful to the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port as a new platform for global seed industry cooperation and exchange, but it will also enhance the international competitiveness of Hainan’s seed industry.