Two Longping High-Tech Rice Varieties Discontinued: Company Responds That It Is a Natural Course of Events
According to a report by China National Radio's "News Vertical and Horizontal," last year, large-scale reductions in grain yields in Bengbu, Anhui, with some fields suffering total crop failure, drew attention from the media and all sectors of society. Affected farmers accused Longping High-Tech of inconsistent resistance labeling on its rice seeds and suspected false advertising.
A reporter's on-site investigation found that the rice seeds behind the large-scale yield reductions and total crop failure in some fields were the “Liangyou 0293” rice variety produced by Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co., Ltd. According to materials provided by Longping High-Tech, this variety was approved in 2006 as a national-approved rice variety (2006045), and since 2008, it has been promoted cumulatively across Anhui Province by nearly 1 million kg.
According to appraisals by authoritative departments, weather conditions were the main cause of the large-scale yield reductions and total crop failure in some fields, and Longping High-Tech responded that the accusations by Anhui farmers do not hold.
Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture issued an announcement requiring 41 crop varieties to cease production immediately and to stop being promoted one year later, and “Liangyou 0293” was among them. This once again drew attention from the media and local farmers in Anhui.
On September 2, the Ministry of Agriculture issued an announcement requiring 41 crop varieties to cease production immediately and to stop being promoted one year later. Among these 41 varieties, “Liangyou 0293” was included.
The announcement stated: “In accordance with the provisions of the Measures for the Approval of Major Crop Varieties, after deliberation by the sixth meeting of the Third National Crop Variety Approval Committee, as well as a 60-day public notice period, and after review and approval by the meeting of the chairman committee, it is decided to withdraw 41 rice, corn, cotton, and soybean varieties approved by the National Crop Variety Approval Committee, including Jingfu 1 You 527, Hesheng Yu No. 6, Xinluzao No. 21, and Zhonghuang 41.”
This announcement once again drew attention from the media and Anhui farmers.
A farmer in Bengbu, Anhui, who once planted “Liangyou 0293,” said: Discontinuing it is definitely good. They should not be allowed to sell this seed in society again. It caused such heavy losses for farming households.
According to the Investigation Report submitted on December 30, 2014, by the Anhui Provincial Seed Management Station to the Seed Management Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, “Since August this year, the weather in our province has been continuously rainy and cloudy, with insufficient sunlight and temperatures lower than the same period in normal years, causing particularly severe occurrence of rice blast in the Liangyou 0293 rice variety, resulting in large-scale yield reductions and total crop failure in some fields. In Bengbu City alone, of more than 20,000 mu planted, about 10,000 mu suffered yield reduction or total crop failure. Among them, Huaishang District had 2,000 mu of yield reduction or total crop failure, and Wuhe County had nearly 8,000 mu of yield reduction or total crop failure. At the same time, Anqing City, Chuzhou City, Hefei City, Huainan City, Ma'anshan City, and other cities also reported large-scale occurrence of rice blast in the Liangyou 0293 rice of Hunan Longping Seed Industry Co., Ltd., and agricultural production showed relatively large yield reductions.”
In addition, according to the On-Site Field Appraisal Report on a Crop Seed Quality Dispute issued on November 10, 2014, by the Wuhe County Agricultural Committee, “The harmful situation appearing in the field was caused by typical panicle neck blast. It was mainly due to low temperatures and continuous overcast rain during the booting and heading stages, the variety itself being highly susceptible to rice blast, and inadequate timely preventive measures, which were the main causes of the outbreak of the disease.”
According to the Explanation of the Circumstances Regarding “Inadequate Timely Preventive Measures” in the On-Site Appraisal Conclusion for Abnormal Field Conditions of Liangyou 0293, “In weather as conducive to rice blast as this year's, when farmers plant such a highly blast-susceptible variety, targeted full-process technical guidance is needed, and timely prevention and remedial measures must be carried out to be effective. Inadequate timely preventive measures are not entirely the fault of the farmers.”
According to farming households who used “Liangyou 0293” and experienced yield reduction or total crop failure, in May this year they received compensation of 100 yuan per mu provided by Longping High-Tech, plus agricultural insurance compensation of 205 yuan per mu, recovering a total of 305 yuan per mu in losses, but this was still about 500 yuan short compared with the cost input of about 800 yuan per mu.
Farmer: The cost is 800 yuan, not counting labor. Insurance is 205, and Longping High-Tech compensated us farmers 100 yuan per mu.
In response to the renewed attention from the media and Anhui farmers to the related incident in recent days, Longping High-Tech said in a written response sent to China National Radio early this morning: “On September 2, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a routine public notice discontinuing production of 41 crop varieties, including ‘Liangyou 0293.’ This public notice is in fact a retrospective statistical public notice by the Ministry of Agriculture. In 2014, some areas of Anhui experienced extremely severe weather. Under its influence, together with inadequate preventive measures during that period, multiple seed industry products of multiple brands, including ‘Liangyou 0293,’ suffered rice blast, resulting in yield reduction or total crop failure. Longping High-Tech had already voluntarily stopped selling the affected ‘Liangyou 0293’ in April this year, and, under the coordination of the local government and Anhui seed management departments, provided assistance to affected farmers. At present, most farmers have received compensation in place, and the company is also preparing to establish a post-disaster assistance fund. The withdrawal of crop product types from the market is the natural course of renewal and replacement. Two new hybrid rice varieties from Longping High-Tech have recently passed the approval of the National Crop Variety Approval Committee. Among them, ‘Longliangyou Huazhan’ has shown relatively strong resistance to rice blast in regional trials at all levels.”