Nation will continue to develop varieties resistant to disease, drought and pests

China will further step up its oversight of the seed market to prevent illegal commercial cultivation of unauthorized genetically modified varieties, an agricultural official said on Wednesday, after several cases of illegal cultivation were investigated by authorities last year.

However, Liao Xiyuan, head of the Department of Science, Technology and Education under the Ministry of Agriculture, told a news conference on Wednesday that the country could push forward the commercial cultivation of pest-resistant GM corn varieties in the next five years.