(Yicai Global) Feb. 19 -- China will encourage its agricultural sector to develop better crops based on genetically modified organisms.

The government will support the innovative research and development of GMOs while regulating the market, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a document released on its website yesterday.

The world's second-largest economy has been making efforts to improve its food safety while being reliant on imports of certain crops such as soybeans. China depends on imports for as much as 86 percent of the soybeans it consumes, according to public data.

Though China does not support low-level and homogeneous R&D, companies that have obtained safety certification are encouraged to create superior GMO varieties, the ministry added.

It also proposed strengthening traceability while clarifying the documentation that companies in the sector should present to authorities.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi