On March 23, the achievements of the project Joint Trial and Demonstration of Integrated Soybean Varieties and Production Technologies in China, Myanmar and Laos, led by the Oil Crops Research Institute (OCRI) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), were showcased at an exhibition on the achievements of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) held during the Reception Commemorating 10th Anniversary of First Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting. Through improved varieties, advanced technologies, and practical cooperation outcomes, the project vividly demonstrated the effectiveness of the LMC Bumper Harvest projects. Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the event and delivered remarks.  

Committed to serving China’s neighborhood diplomacy and agricultural opening-up strategy, OCRI has promoted soybean development in LMC partner countries through improved variety breeding, integrated technological innovation, and joint trials, demonstration, and extension. These efforts have helped raise soybean yields in participating countries by more than 30 percent, making OCRI an important scientific and technological force in advancing agricultural quality and efficiency in the region and improving local livelihoods.

At the exhibition, OCRI highlighted several soybean varieties specially developed for LMC countries, including Zhongxiandou No. 2, CSY17, and Youchun 1204. Among them, Zhongxiandou No. 2, a high-protein dual-purpose variety for both vegetable and grain use, is well suited to the rapidly growing fresh soybean sector in Laos and has significantly increased farmers’ yields and incomes. CSY17, the first Chinese soybean variety officially approved in Myanmar, yields more than 200 kilograms per mu, representing an increase of over 80 percent compared with leading local varieties. Youchun 1204, a high-yielding, widely adaptable, and stress-tolerant soybean variety, has delivered stable yields of more than 100 kilograms per mu during Myanmar’s dry season, providing strong varietal support for dry-season agricultural development in LMC partner countries.