CITIC Agriculture focuses on crop breeding, seed multiplication and promotion, and is committed to building a globally competitive agricultural technology enterprise. It possesses more than 60 breeding stations, over 900,000mu of high-standard seed production bases, a research and development team of over 700 specialists, five national and provincial science and technology innovation platforms, and one advanced seed industry biotechnology laboratory in South America. Its independently developed varieties are promoted across more than 200 million mu globally each year.
In 2025, CITIC Agriculture leveraged technological innovation as its growth engine and strong capital base as its bedrock. Through measures of deep integration between industry and finance, such as raising funds via private placements, introducing diversified capital and deploying industrial funds, CITIC Agriculture delved deep into the core seed industry business, advanced technological innovation and promoted the upgrade of governance efficiency, achieving overall strategic implementation and value enhancement.
Leveraging capital to drive growth. CITIC Agriculture contributed RMB1.2 billion to complete the private placement of Longping High-Tech, injecting strong momentum into its breeding R&D, industrial integration, and capital structure optimisation. It contributed RMB150 million to increase its shareholding in Higentec, further strengthening its control over and support for the shared technology platform for the seed industry. The maize seed segment introduced strategic investors and completed a capital increase of RMB1.0 billion. Additionally, CITIC Agriculture completed the fundraising of RMB1.0 billion for CITIC Agriculture Fund Phase II, reserving long-term momentum for the innovative development of the seed industry.
Improvement of business quality. Longping High-Tech secured its core position in the domestic staple grain business, with the market share of its key varieties continuing to increase. Among the top ten varieties in terms of promotion area for major crops nationwide, those selected and promoted by Longping High-Tech included six hybrid rice varieties, four hybrid maize varieties and one wheat variety.
Key breakthroughs achieved in breeding. Longping High-Tech independently selected and bred a batch of high-quality, insect-resistant and high-yield new rice varieties. The insect-resistant rice variety “Weiliangyou 2268” was recognised as a landmark achievement in domestic rice biological breeding. The independently developed thermo-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) rice line overcame major bottlenecks in two-line hybrid rice seed production. This achievement was honoured with the First Prize of the Shennong China Agricultural Science and Technology Award. In 2025, nine additional genetically modified (GM) maize varieties passed national approval. The independently developed “Yufeng 303D” became the only GM variety recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2025, with its biological breeding commercialisation area ranking first in China for three consecutive years.
Enhancement of scientific and technological innovation capabilities. Longping High-Tech, in collaboration with the National Supercomputing Centre in Changsha, participated in the “Data Element ×” competition organised by the National Data Bureau and won the first prize in the national finals of the modern agriculture track. Higentec’s high-throughput project won the first prize in the bio economics track of the BRICS Solutions Awards.
Leveraging capital to drive growth. CITIC Agriculture contributed RMB1.2 billion to complete the private placement of Longping High-Tech, injecting strong momentum into its breeding R&D, industrial integration, and capital structure optimisation. It contributed RMB150 million to increase its shareholding in Higentec, further strengthening its control over and support for the shared technology platform for the seed industry. The maize seed segment introduced strategic investors and completed a capital increase of RMB1.0 billion. Additionally, CITIC Agriculture completed the fundraising of RMB1.0 billion for CITIC Agriculture Fund Phase II, reserving long-term momentum for the innovative development of the seed industry.
Improvement of business quality. Longping High-Tech secured its core position in the domestic staple grain business, with the market share of its key varieties continuing to increase. Among the top ten varieties in terms of promotion area for major crops nationwide, those selected and promoted by Longping High-Tech included six hybrid rice varieties, four hybrid maize varieties and one wheat variety.
Longping High-Tech Changsha Guanshan Base
Key breakthroughs achieved in breeding. Longping High-Tech independently selected and bred a batch of high-quality, insect-resistant and high-yield new rice varieties. The insect-resistant rice variety “Weiliangyou 2268” was recognised as a landmark achievement in domestic rice biological breeding. The independently developed thermo-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) rice line overcame major bottlenecks in two-line hybrid rice seed production. This achievement was honoured with the First Prize of the Shennong China Agricultural Science and Technology Award. In 2025, nine additional genetically modified (GM) maize varieties passed national approval. The independently developed “Yufeng 303D” became the only GM variety recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2025, with its biological breeding commercialisation area ranking first in China for three consecutive years.
Enhancement of scientific and technological innovation capabilities. Longping High-Tech, in collaboration with the National Supercomputing Centre in Changsha, participated in the “Data Element ×” competition organised by the National Data Bureau and won the first prize in the national finals of the modern agriculture track. Higentec’s high-throughput project won the first prize in the bio economics track of the BRICS Solutions Awards.