Origin Agritech locks gene-editing licence deal with Shandong Shunfeng Biotech

In a move signalling increased momentum in agricultural biotechnology, U.S.-listed Origin Agritech Ltd. (NASDAQ: SEED) announced on Monday that it has entered into a patent licence agreement with China's Shandong Shunfeng Biotechnology Co., Ltd. for Shunfeng's proprietary gene-editing tool, known as Cas-SF01.

Under the agreement, Origin Agritech obtains long-term access to IP-protected gene-editing technology to support its research and development (R&D) in trait gene editing, with a particular focus on accelerating adoption of advanced gene-editing in corn breeding. Although financial terms were not disclosed, the partnership reflects the growing pressure on seed and ag-tech firms to bring next-generation breeding tools into commercial deployment.

The company has already begun the biosafety assessment process for its edited lines and expects to receive final certification within one to two years marking a relatively rapid path to regulatory compliance for gene-edited crops. As part of the deal, Origin Agritech will deploy Shunfeng's Cas-SF01 platform to produce edited corn induction lines, specifically including variants labelled ZmRAVL1-KO1 and ZmDWF4-KO1.

In addition, the agreement supports biosafety approvals for other gene-edited transformants developed via the company's in-house "Hi-3 one-step editing" method. The company states the acquisition aligns with three core strategic goals: ensuring biosafety compliance for regulatory evaluation, enabling direct breeding applications, and strengthening its "Smart Plant Architecture" breeding programme.

From a market perspective, the announcement came with stock trading at approximately US$1.41, down about 2.8% in overnight trading. While the modest decline might reflect investor's anticipation of longer-term lead times or unclear near-term commercial upside, the deal places Origin Agritech in a stronger position within the ag-biotech space.

Commentators suggest that the partnership comes at a time when gene-editing tools (rather than traditional transgenic methods) are increasingly viewed as the next frontier in crop improvement. By leveraging Cas-SF01, Origin Agritech aims to shorten breeding cycles and bring value-creating traits to market more quickly a key competitive advantage.

For Origin Agritech and its stakeholders, the challenge now will be whether the company can translate licence access and R&D capability into commercial products and regulatory approvals in a global environment where genetic-editing rules remain variable. The next 12 to 24 months will be critical to demonstrate tangible progress in edited corn lines, regulatory clearance, and ultimately market entry.

In sum, the deal underscores how small and mid-cap players in the agritech and agricultural biotech sector are forging strategic alliances to gain access to proprietary tools, accelerate innovation, and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving industry.