BEIJING, CHINA — As part of China’s ongoing efforts to reduce its reliance on imports, 26 domestic seed companies have been licensed to produce, distribute and sell genetically modified corn and soybean seeds in certain provinces, Reuters reported, citing the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The companies named in a notice from the agriculture ministry on Dec. 25 include Beijing Dabeinong Technology 002385.SZ and China National Seed, now owned by Syngenta Group. Other licensed companies include those operating in the major grain-producing provinces of Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin and Inner Mongolia.

This is China’s first batch of companies to receive seed production and operation licenses for GMO corn and soybeans, the GLOCON Agritech Co-Innovation Institute said in a note, paving the way for commercial planting of the crops.

China imports roughly 100 million tonnes of soybeans and corn annually to feed its livestock and is the world’s biggest buyer of both, mostly from Brazil and the United States. Improved yields from GMO corn and soybeans could help reduce those imports.

China is expected to tightly control the rollout of GMOs. Large-scale trials of GMO soy and corn were carried out this year, which the agriculture ministry said showed “outstanding” results and that the technology was safe and essential.