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<TYPE>EX-99.1
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<FILENAME>a5374241ex991.txt
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 99.1
<TEXT>
                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

        Origin Agritech Limited Increases Majority Interest in
             Jilin Changrong Seed Company Ltd. Subsidiary

    BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2007--Origin Agritech Limited
(NASDAQ: SEED) ("Origin"), a vertically-integrated supplier of hybrid
crop seeds in China, today announced that it acquired an additional
9.18% interest in its Jilin Changrong Seed Company Ltd. ("Jilin
Changrong") subsidiary from certain shareholders for RMB 22.04 million
(US $2.8 million). Origin now has a 51.7% ownership stake in Jilin
Changrong directly and indirectly for which it has paid total
consideration of approximately US $6.6 million. Jilin Changrong, which
is located in and primarily serves the northeast region of China, was
established in January 2006 through a partnership between Origin and
Jinong Hi-tech Seed Inc. ("Jinong").

    Jilin Changrong has the exclusive rights from Jinong, the
commercial subsidiary of the Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences
("JAAS"), to 40 proprietary hybrid crop seeds. Jilin Changrong will
continue to receive, on an exclusive basis, new corn hybrid seeds
developed by Jinong. To date, 18 seeds from Jilin Changrong have been
approved by the government, with the expectation that an additional
5-8 hybrid crop seeds will be approved by the government next year. An
additional 48 hybrid seeds are undergoing regulatory testing. This
product portfolio makes Jilin Changrong one of the leading crop seed
companies in the northern region of China and strengthens Origin's
presence in Inner Mongolia.

    Origin owns a 23% interest in Jinong which, in 2006, was named as
one of the top 50 seed companies in China. JAAS is one of the leading
provincial agricultural research institutions in China. JAAS has 11
research units and is considered to be the premier agricultural
research and development institution in the northeast region. Among
its 11 research units are the National Corn Research and Improvement
Center, the Jilin Branch of the National Rice Improvement Center, the
Jilin Branch of the National Center on Corn Improvement, and the Jilin
Province Key Open Lab on Agro-Biotechnology.

    For the year ended September 30, 2006, Jilin Changrong delivered
14.4 million kilograms of corn seed, generated revenue of RMB 109.18
million (US $13.96 million), and produced a net profit of RMB 25.1
million (US $3.2 million).

    Dr. Gengchen Han, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Origin,
commented, "We were very pleased with Jilin Changrong's performance in
2006 and are optimistic about its outlook for 2007. Beyond the
anticipated financial contributions, this additional investment in
Jilin Changrong is also expected to produce a number of strategic
benefits to Origin. These benefits include the consolidation of
Origin's marketing and distribution network with those of Jinong and
Jilin Changrong, access to and cooperation with the JAAS corn
germplasm and research program, and an opportunity to share management
skills and intellectual property. The northeast region of China
accounts for approximately 35% of the country's total corn growing
area and 45% of the country's total corn production, making it an area
of tremendous agricultural importance. Jilin Changrong has a very good
reputation in northeast China, especially in Jilin province where we
estimate that Jilin Changrong has a 10% market share of the corn seed
market."

    ABOUT ORIGIN

    Origin specializes in the research, development, production, sale
and distribution of hybrid crop seeds in China. The Company owns or
leases facilities in, among other locations, Beijing, Gansu, Henan,
Helongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Hainan, Sichuan, Hebei, Yunnan, Jiangsu,
Shanxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Anhui, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces.
Origin launched its first entirely internally developed seed in 2003.
As of 2006, Origin had ten proprietary corn hybrids, six proprietary
rice hybrids and two proprietary canola hybrids currently in the
market.

    FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

    This release contains forward-looking statements. These statements
include, without limitation, statements regarding our expectations,
assumptions, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future.
All forward-looking statements included in this release are based on
information available to us on the date hereof. These statements
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors,
which may cause our actual results to differ materially from those
implied by the forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can
identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may,"
"will," "should," "could," "expects," "plans," "anticipates,"
"believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "targets," "goals,"
"projects," "continue," or variations of such words, similar
expressions, or the negative of these terms or other comparable
terminology. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in
the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee
future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.
Therefore, actual results may differ materially and adversely from
those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Neither we nor any
other person can assume responsibility for the accuracy and
completeness of forward-looking statements. Important factors that may
cause actual results to differ from expectations include, but are not
limited to, those risk factors discussed in Origin's filings with the
SEC including its annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on
February 15, 2007. We undertake no obligation to revise or update
publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

    CONTACT: Origin Agritech Limited
             Jeff Wang, 0086-10-5890-7518
             Chief Financial Officer
             or
             Irving Kau, 760-918-1781
             Vice President, Finance
             or
             Investor Relations:
             The Equity Group Inc.
             Devin Sullivan, 212-836-9608
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