US Market News
2月前
Origin Agritech Names Global Crop Biotechnology Expert Dr. Jian Zhang to Board of Directors; Welcomes Return of Dr. Z. James Chen as Chief Financial OfficerMarch 24, 2026 7:30 AM
PR Newswire (US)
Appointments Reinforce Deep Technical Expertise in Biotech R&D and Capital Markets Leadership as Origin Advances Its Commercial PipelineBEIJING, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Origin Agritech Ltd. (NASDAQ: SEED) (the "Company" or "Origin"), a leading Chinese agricultural technology company, today announced the appointment of Dr. Jian Zhang as an independent member of its Board of Directors and the reappointment of Dr. Zheng James Chen as Chief Financial Officer. Both appointments are effective March 20, 2026.Dr. Zhang brings to Origin one of the most distinguished careers in global crop biotechnology, with more than two decades of research, regulatory, and executive leadership across DuPont Pioneer, Syngenta, and BASF, three of the world's foremost agricultural life sciences companies. His technical depth across the full crop biotech lifecycle, from molecular breeding and transgenic trait development to GMO regulatory affairs and commercial stewardship, directly supports Origin's strategy to advance and commercialize its proprietary seed technology pipeline in China and international markets.Dr. Chen has served Origin in multiple senior capacities over more than a decade, including two separate tenures as CFO and one as Chief Executive Officer. His understanding of Origin's financial architecture, paired with his track record at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and leadership roles at two publicly listed Nasdaq companies, makes him uniquely qualified to lead the Company's financial operations through its next phase.Dr. Changqing Mao resigned from his position as independent director, effective March 12, 2026, due to new professional commitments. Mr. Chi Kin (Patrick) Cheng resigned as Chief Financial Officer, effective March 19, 2026, for personal development reasons."We are building Origin around the most capable leadership team we have fielded," said Dr. Gengchen Han, Chairman of the Board of Origin Agritech. "Dr. Zhang's global credentials in crop biotech R&D are unmatched among any director we could have brought to this Board. His regulatory acumen and commercial track record with the world's leading seed companies, combined with Dr. Chen's deep familiarity with Origin's financial operations and his prior roles at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, give us an executive team fully equipped to drive this company forward. We thank Dr. Mao and Mr. Cheng for their contributions and wish them well in their respective endeavors."DR. JIAN ZHANG — INDEPENDENT DIRECTORDr. Zhang, 62, currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of ChinaAg JiaNuo Seed Science and Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. He previously served as Chief Technology Officer of Syngenta Group China Seed Business and as Director of the National Center of Technology Innovation for Maize. As General Manager of Huazhi Rice Biotechnology Co., Ltd., he constructed a world-class crop molecular breeding R&D platform in China.Over a 20-year career spanning the world's dominant multinational seed companies, Dr. Zhang served as R&D Manager at DuPont Pioneer (now Corteva Agriscience), contributing to the development of the Herculex™ transgenic insect-resistant maize product series as well as Senior Manager of GMO Regulatory and Biotechnology Affairs for China and Asia-Pacific region; and as Global Head of Quality Control for biotech crops at BASF Plant Science. He holds extensive expertise in crop biotechnology R&D, regulatory safety assessment, and biotech compliance and stewardship across the Chinese, Asian, and global markets.Dr. Zhang holds a Ph.D. in Plant Genetics Manipulation from the University of Nottingham (UK), an M.B.A. from the University of Iowa, and a Bachelor's degree in Crop Genetics and Breeding from China Agricultural University.DR. ZHENG JAMES CHEN — CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERDr. Chen, 60, rejoins Origin in a role he knows with depth and precision, having previously served as the Company's Chief Financial Officer from January 2012 to January 2016, Chief Executive Officer from February 2018 to December 2018, and Chief Financial Officer again from December 2018 to April 2020. He also served as a member of Origin's Board of Directors from August 2017 to April 2020. His return brings institutional memory and financial continuity at a critical stage of the Company's development.Prior to rejoining Origin, Dr. Chen served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of China Finance Online and as Chief Financial Officer of Yunji Inc. Earlier in his career, he was an Investment Manager at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), an senior analyst at Morgan Joseph and BB&T Capital Markets, a Product Manager at Celanese, and a License Product Technology Manager at Univation Technologies — a joint venture between ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical.Dr. Chen holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut and an M.B.A. from New York University.About Origin Agritech LimitedOrigin Agritech Limited, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Origin R&D Center, Songzhuang, Tongzhou in Beijing, is a leading Chinese agricultural technology company. In crop seed biotechnologies, Origin Agritech's phytase corn was the first transgenic corn to receive the Bio-Safety Certificate from China's Ministry of Agriculture. Over the years, Origin has established a robust biotechnology seed pipeline, including products with glyphosate tolerance and pest resistance (Bt) traits. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.originagritech.com. The Company also maintains an X account for updating investors on Company and industry developments which is https://x.com/origin_agritech. 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
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/origin-agritech-names-global-crop-biotechnology-expert-dr-jian-zhang-to-board-of-directors-welcomes-return-of-dr-z-james-chen-as-chief-financial-officer-302722808.htmlSOURCE Origin Agritech
Original: Origin Agritech Names Global Crop Biotechnology Expert Dr. Jian Zhang to Board of Directors; Welcomes Return of Dr. Z. James Chen as Chief Financial Officer
US Market News
4月前
Origin Agritech Announces Fiscal Year 2025 ResultsJanuary 30, 2026 5:00 PM
PR Newswire (US)
Announces Filing of Annual Report on Form 20-F for Fiscal Year 2025BEIJING, Jan. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Origin Agritech Ltd. (NASDAQ: SEED) (the "Company" or "Origin"), a leading Chinese agricultural technology company, today announced financial results for the year ended September 30, 2025.Business Accomplishments and Highlights for the Year Ended September 30, 2025:Partnerships & Industry Engagement:In January 2025, Origin announced a three-way partnership with China Agricultural University (the world's top-ranked institution in agricultural science) and the Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, establishing a comprehensive R&D initiative focused on corn "smart plant type" improvement and innovative variety developmentThe Company signed cooperation agreements with 12 prominent agricultural companies at the Sanya International Seed Industry Scientist ConferenceOrigin launched the "Golden Harvest Club," a strategic alliance aimed at strengthening relationships within its distribution ecosystemProduct Portfolio & Regulatory Approvals:The Company launched four new corn varieties at its August 2025 Industry Summit: Jingke 317, Jinqiao 8, Xundan 203, and Aoyu 728Jinqiao 8 received approval for introduction in five provinces (Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, and Hubei)Jingke 317 and Aoyu 728 received National Trial approvalXundan 203 received approval in Henan ProvinceDistribution Network Expansion:In August 2025, Origin hosted its Achievements Exhibition and Seed Industry Innovation Summit in Zhengzhou, attracting over 700 distributor partners from across China and more than 30 industry expertsDistributors actively participated in the new product launch and ordering process, demonstrating strong market interest in Origin's product pipelineProduction & Processing Capabilities:On August 21, 2025, Origin's Xinjiang production facility commenced full-scale seed processing operations for the 2025 seasonThe facility operates a fully automated processing line integrating cleaning, drying, threshing, precision sorting, coating, and packaging operationsAdvanced seed coating technology and real-time monitoring systems ensure optimal seed quality and viabilityResearch & Development Infrastructure:The Company established four provincial and ministerial R&D platforms with research bases in Beijing, Hainan, and HenanOrigin accumulated over 200,000 corn germplasm resourcesThe Company received authorization for multiple gene editing traits, including leaf angle, plant height, and rust resistanceFiscal Year 2025 Financial Results: For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, revenue was RMB 91.3 million (US$12.8 million), compared to RMB 113.4 million (US$16.2 million) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024. The decrease in revenues was primarily attributed to equipment upgrades and modernization at the Xinjiang factory, which led to a reduction and halt in external seed production services, as well as a decrease in sales of non-proprietary varieties.Total operating expenses for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, were RMB 64.2 million (US$9.0 million), compared to operating expenses of RMB 52.7 million (US$7.5 million) in fiscal year 2024.Selling and marketing expenses for fiscal year 2025 were RMB 7.0 million (US$1.0 million), compared to RMB 6.3 million (US$0.9 million) in fiscal year 2024.General and administrative expenses for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, were RMB 40.2 million (US$5.7 million), compared to RMB 36.0 million (US$5.1 million) year-over-year.Research and development expenses were RMB 13.0 million (US$1.8 million) in fiscal year 2025, compared to RMB 10.1 million (US$1.4 million) in fiscal year 2024.Net loss from continuing operations for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, was RMB 58.0 million (US$8.2 million), compared with net income from continuing operations of RMB 18.7 million (US$2.7 million) in fiscal year 2024.Net loss attributable to Origin for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025 was RMB 53.3 million (US$7.5 million), compared to the net income of RMB 20.7 million (US$3.0 million) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024.LiquidityAs of September 30, 2025, we had approximately RMB 15.9 million (US$2.2 million) in cash and cash equivalents, compared to RMB 8.4 million (US$1.2 million) as of September 30, 2024. Total borrowings as of September 30, 2025, were RMB 8.0 million (US$1.1 million), compared to RMB 4.95 million (US$0.7 million) as of September 30, 2024.Net cash used in operating activities was RMB 22.9 million (US$3.2 million) during fiscal year 2025, compared with net cash used in operating activities of RMB 15.0 million (US$2.1 million) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024.Net cash used in investing activities was RMB 13.7 million (US$1.9 million) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, compared with net cash used in investing activities of RMB 5.0 million (US$0.7 million) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024.Net cash provided by financing activities was RMB 44.3 million (US$6.2 million) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, compared with net cash provided by financing activities of RMB 4.5 million (US$0.6 million) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024.Management CommentaryMr. Weibin Yan, CEO of Origin Agritech, commented, "Fiscal year 2025 has been a year of recovery for Origin Agritech. We have fully restored our team, research capabilities, seed production and processing facilities, and sales network infrastructure, and we are now ready to march forward under our renewed leadership. In November 2024, we announced our three-stage strategic plan: Recovery in 2025 and 2026, Stand-Up from 2027 to 2029, and a return to an industry-leading position from 2030 to 2032. In 2025, we fully put our senior leadership in place, expanded our sales team from 63 to 106, upgraded our Beijing and Sanya research stations, opened a new station in Zhengzhou, and began construction on our Guiyang facility, scheduled to open in Q1 2026. Our research pipeline is now stocked with the most competitive germplasms, in-house-developed AI supports our breeding programs, and we are accelerating the commercialization of GMOs and gene editing through our strategic alliance with China Golden-mark Biotech. With our Xinjiang facility restored to industry-leading standards, a new sales force in Northeast China, and Beijing Origin obtaining its seed production and operation license in December 2025, we are confident that Origin Agritech is positioned to deliver significant value to our shareholders in the years ahead."Annual Report Now AvailableThe Company has filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The annual report on Form 20-F can be accessed on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov and the Company's investor relations website at https://originagritech.com/investor-relations/.CONFERENCE CALL & AUDIO WEBCASTOrigin will host a conference call on Monday, February 2, at 8 a.m. ET with the investment community to discuss the Company's financial results and provide a business update. The conference call will be led by Mr. Weibin Yan, Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Patrick Cheng, Chief Financial Officer.To access the call by phone, please call 1-800-245-3047 (United States) or 1-203-518-9765 (International) using the conference ID: ORIGIN.To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. The webcast can be accessed at the following link: https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1750839&tp_key=695fe18547.About Origin Agritech LimitedOrigin Agritech Limited, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Origin R&D Center, Songzhuang, Tongzhou in Beijing, is a leading Chinese agricultural technology company. In crop seed biotechnologies, Origin Agritech's phytase corn was the first transgenic corn to receive the Bio-Safety Certificate from China's Ministry of Agriculture. Over the years, Origin has established a robust biotechnology seed pipeline, including products with glyphosate tolerance and pest resistance (Bt) traits. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.originagritech.com. The Company also maintains an X account for updating investors on Company and industry developments which is https://x.com/origin_agritech.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.cnInvestor Relations Contact:
Matthew Abenante, IRC
President
Strategic Investor Relations, LLC
Tel: 347-947-2093
Email: matthew@strategic-ir.com
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/origin-agritech-announces-fiscal-year-2025-results-302675279.htmlSOURCE Origin Agritech Limited
Original: Origin Agritech Announces Fiscal Year 2025 Results