Shanghai has set a new record in rice seed transfer this year with a 1.02 million yuan ($142,500) deal for a newly developed japonica variety.

The Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences sold the exclusive 15-year rights to "Hudaoxiangruan 217" (沪稻香软217), later renamed "Chongshang 217" (崇尚217), to the Shanghai Chongming Seed Company. The deal marks the city's highest-priced transfer of conventional rice seeds in 2025.

This landmark deal highlights the city's strategic push to modernize its seed industry and drive agricultural innovation.

Rice breeding has long faced a trade-off. High-yield, resilient varieties often sacrifice flavor, while aromatic, soft-textured rice tends to be fragile and prone to disease.

After seven years of research, the academy combined traditional breeding techniques with molecular marker-assisted selection, refining the crop through multiple generations. The result was Hudaoxiangruan 217, which was officially certified in Shanghai this year as a new rice variety.

According to Bai Jianjiang, an associate researcher at the academy, the variety is short and sturdy with strong lodging resistance. Its translucent, glossy, and fragrant grains make it both highly productive for farmers and appealing to consumers.

Rebranded as Chongshang 217, the rice is expected to strengthen the competitiveness of "Chongming Rice", a nationally certified geographical indication trademark.

Trialed on more than 8,000 mu, or 533 hectares, in Chongming's Dongtan wetland, Chongshang 217 has produced yields of around 600 kilograms per mu and an output value exceeding 3,200 yuan per mu. With wider adoption, the variety could reach more dining tables as early as next year.

Source: Jiefang Daily