BEIJING, March 19 (Reuters) - China has approved 27 genetically modified corn seed varieties and 3 GM soybean varieties, expanding its list of approvals as it aims to increase the development and planting of high-yielding crops.
The varieties approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in a notice on Tuesday include seed varieties owned by Dabeinong and China National Seed Group, a unit of Syngenta Group.
China has for years moved cautiously on the deployment of GM crops but in January said it will expand the planting of GM soybeans and corn after pilot projects showed good results in improving yields and lowering costs compared to conventional types of seeds.
The world's biggest buyer of soybeans and corn aims to raise domestic production through higher yielding seeds and cut its grains imports of more than 100 million metric tons a year.
The list of approved varieties is open for public comment until April 17, according to the ministry notice.
"After the above varieties are approved according to the procedures, the actual planting area should also comply with the relevant arrangements for the national biological breeding industrialization," said the notice.
(Reporting by Dominique Patton; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Louise Heavens)
