How can the concept of lawful farming take root in people's hearts?
In order to better create a safe and healthy production environment for livestock and poultry farming, effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, and enable the vast number of livestock and poultry farms (households) to more consciously abide by animal husbandry and veterinary laws and regulations, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau of Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, will soon organize an “Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Laws and Regulations Publicity Month” activity, using television special programs, newspaper columns, mass text messages, and other forms, and through on-site publicity, household visits and explanations, on-site question-and-answer sessions, and other methods, to organize animal diagnosis and treatment units, slaughter and processing enterprises, input production and operation enterprises, and livestock and poultry farms (households) in a targeted manner to participate in the publicity activities, thereby expanding the influence of the publicity.
The Food Safety Law, the Consumer Rights Protection Law, and the drafting and formulation of provincial animal husbandry regulations…… The rule of law was once very distant from animal husbandry, but now it is drawing ever closer and is even closely linked to it. Making practitioners respect the law, understand the law, and use the law is not only a trend, but also a mission.
In 2014, China issued its first law and regulation targeting pollution from the livestock sector——the Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Pollution from Large-Scale Livestock and Poultry Breeding, making ecological farming the direction and trend of development. If farmers cannot properly understand this law and carry out production in accordance with its provisions, they will be unable to survive. Looking further along the consumption chain, we will find that the meat, egg, and dairy industries are gradually achieving product traceability. Under this trend, the Food Safety Law and the Consumer Rights Protection Law are no longer merely clauses placed on a desk for farmers. Farmers who illegally use additives or illegally use veterinary drugs in livestock and poultry farming will be held accountable and may face criminal liability as well as corresponding economic losses. At that time, not knowing the law or claiming unintentional negligent wrongdoing cannot become grounds for exemption from liability.
In addition to laws related to animal husbandry, farmers should also learn about other laws and regulations.
From a macro perspective, the development of animal husbandry cannot do without financing loans or moving closer to e-commerce. Related knowledge of insurance law, protection of rights in contracts, guarantee liability clauses, and so on will all become unavoidable areas in the development of animal husbandry. Used well, they can become powerful tools for protecting rights; if not understood, it is hard to avoid falling into loopholes or even traps. Rather than mending the fold after a sheep is lost, it is better to repair the house before it rains and prevent liability risks before they occur.
From a micro perspective, as animal husbandry becomes bigger and stronger and scattered farms develop toward large-scale operation, it will inevitably involve the transformation of practitioners' status and the construction of modern enterprises, and these all involve the vital interests of farmers, such as protection under the Property Law, implementation of responsibilities under the Labor Contract Law and related personnel policies and regulations, adjudication and handling of labor disputes, and even compensation for personal injury appearing in labor contracts. These may seem distant, but when disputes arise they are closely related to every practitioner.
“The most important laws are neither carved in marble nor engraved on bronze tablets, but inscribed in the hearts of citizens.” Laws are not dull and tasteless clauses; behind them there is more of a kind of love full of humanistic care. From this, the author sees the necessity of relevant departments going door to door to explain knowledge of animal husbandry laws and regulations. This can enable the concept of lawful farming to gradually take root in people's hearts and let everyone know the law and abide by it.