Seed orders for the FY 2027 season up more than 100% Ytd, targeting 50%+ Yoy revenue growth for FY 2027
BEIJING, Oct. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Origin Agritech Limited (NASDAQ: SEED) (“Origin” or the “Company”), a leading Chinese agricultural technology company, today issued a letter to shareholders from Chief Executive Officer Weibin Yan as the Company enters fiscal year 2027. The full text follows.
Dear Fellow Shareholders,
Two years ago, in August 2024, I returned to Origin Agritech as Chief Executive Officer with a clear objective: to strengthen our position in China’s corn seed industry and build a foundation for sustainable growth.. We closed fiscal 2026 on September 30 with the first phase of our strategic plan complete. Early indicators are encouraging: customer advance payments and seed preorders for spring planting are up more than 100% year-over-year to date. I would like to share the progress we have made, the opportunities ahead, and how we intend to build on this momentum.
Building the Foundation for Growth: The Restructuring Stage
When I rejoined Origin in August 2024, we established a three-stage development plan. Fiscal 2025 and 2026 comprised the Restructuring Stage, during which we made substantial progress. We strengthened our leadership team and expanded sales and marketing across China’s major corn seed regions, re-entering Northeast China last year and launching operations in Guizhou in June this year. We launched four new corn varieties in August 2025, secured exclusive nationwide commercialization rights to Zhongdan 6202 one year later, and began introducing Bangzhongbang 889 for FY 2027.
We upgraded R&D stations in Beijing and Sanya, opened new stations in Zhengzhou and Guizhou. We obtained gene-editing trait authorizations, partnered with China Agricultural University and the Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences to advance biotechnology commercialization, obtained Beijing Origin’s seed production and operation license, and implemented an AI-assisted information management system. We also completed a sale-and-leaseback of our Xinjiang seed production subsidiary, unlocking capital while retaining operational access, strengthening liquidity without shareholder dilution.
What to expect in FY 2027: The Strong Growth Stage Begins
Fiscal 2027 through fiscal 2029 marks our Strong Growth Stage. The new fiscal 2027 season started very well with our new seed varieties have receiving encouraging market responses across our main business regions. Advance payments are up more than 100% year-over-year in this early season. Building on this momentum, we expect our operating cash flow from the seed business to more than double year over year in FY 2027.
Three engines are driving that growth: our variety portfolio, led by Zhongdan 6202 and Bangzhongbang 889, with new varieties supporting central China; our regional expansion, including full seasons in Northeast China and Guizhou; and most importantly, our technology platform is greatly improving our R&D efficiency, and the planned Origin Agri-tech Agent will greatly accelerate our engagement with the farmers to improve farmer productivity, deepen and broaden our client relationships.
Looking ahead, we are pursuing organic growth and evaluating M&A opportunities in China and Southeast Asia, supported by our international capital platform. For FY 2028 and FY 2029, we target at least 50% year-over-year organic business growth as our new varieties expand across the Huanghuai-Hai belt and China’s Northeast, Northwest, and Southwest regions.
A personal note
I returned to Origin because I believe China’s corn seed market offers significant opportunities for companies with strong genetics, effective distribution, and innovative technology. With more than 200,000 germplasm accessions, authorized gene-edited traits, a growing variety portfolio, and an expanded sales network,strong engagement with the leading experts in the industry, Origin is building the capabilities to capture these opportunities. Our goal is to become one of China’s leading corn seed companies within five years, and the more than 100% year-over-year increase in advance payments to date is an encouraging early indicator of customer demand. My own capital is invested alongside yours.
Thanks for your investment and attention, I look forward to speaking with you on our next call.
Sincerely,
Weibin Yan
Chief Executive Officer
Origin Agritech Limited
About Origin Agritech Limited
Origin Agritech Limited, founded in 1997 and headquartered at the Origin R&D Center in Songzhuang, Tongzhou, Beijing, is a leading Chinese agricultural technology company. In crop seed biotechnology, Origin Agritech’s phytase corn was the first transgenic corn to receive a Biosafety Certificate from China’s Ministry of Agriculture. Over the years, Origin has established a robust biotechnology seed pipeline, including products with glyphosate tolerance and Bt (pest resistance) traits. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at https://originagritech.com. The Company also maintains an X account to update investors on Company and industry developments, available at https://x.com/origin_agritech.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the Company’s expectations for advance payments and seed sales in fiscal 2027, the launch and market acceptance of Zhongdan 6202, Bangzhongbang 889, and other varieties, the launch, timing, and expected benefits of the Company’s Farming AI Agent, and AI-asisted information management system, the Company’s three-stage strategic plan and the targets for each stage, the use of capital from the sale and leaseback of the Xinjiang subsidiary and its effect on the Company’s results and liquidity, regulatory and commercial milestones for new and biotechnology-derived varieties, potential acquisitions and international expansion, and the Company’s strategic goals. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “will,” “would,” “target,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including the risk that advance payments do not convert into seed sales at the level or timing expected, delays in or failure to achieve regulatory and commercial milestones, grower adoption of the Company’s varieties, seed production yields and weather conditions, competitive variety introductions, pricing pressure in the Chinese seed market, regulatory and agricultural policy developments in China, currency fluctuation, risks associated with international operations and licensing approvals, and the Company’s ability to fund and execute the plans described above, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Origin Agritech undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities and other applicable laws.
For more information, please contact:
Origin Agritech Limited Contact:
Kate Lang (Mandarin/English)
Director of Investor Relations
Phone: +86 186-1839-3368
Email: bing.lang@originseed.com.cn
Investor Relations Contact:
Matthew Abenante, IRC
President
Strategic Investor Relations LLC
Tel: 347-947-2093
Email: matthew@strategic-ir.com
