Ministry of Agriculture Launches Regional Special Campaign Against Seed Counterfeiting and Fake Sales
On March 10, the Ministry of Agriculture launched a regional special campaign to combat seed counterfeiting and fake sales in 11 provinces in Xiangyang, Hubei Province. The meeting emphasized that the campaign must focus on key regions, adopt forceful, vigorous and effective measures, and resolutely curb the flow of unauthorized and prematurely promoted seeds and counterfeit-labelled infringing seeds into the market, and cut off the chain of seed counterfeiting and fake sales.
The meeting pointed out that since last year, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce have jointly carried out a special campaign against infringement of variety rights and the production and sale of fake and inferior seeds, and the order of the seed market has improved markedly. However, in seed markets in some areas at provincial borders, problems such as unauthorized and premature promotion and counterfeit labelling are very prominent, which not only harms the interests of farmers and the lawful rights and interests of variety rights holders, but also brings risks to the safety of agricultural production. If these regional seed market problems are not fundamentally resolved, they will not only severely constrain independent innovation in the seed industry, but also affect the development of agricultural modernization.
The meeting required that Hubei, Henan, Anhui and other provinces act quickly, take real measures, focus on actual results, and promptly carry out the regional special campaign to combat seed counterfeiting and fake sales, making every effort to ensure the safety of seeds used in agricultural production.
Strengthen the clean-up and rectification of varieties. Treat border areas between provinces in the same ecological zone as key supervision regions, carry out thorough investigations of varieties, quickly ascertain the planting situation of suitable varieties in key areas, innovate the variety approval management mechanism, and accelerate the introduction and approval of superior varieties. Strengthen publicity and guidance during the seed purchasing season, publish at the provincial level a catalogue of approved varieties suitable for local planting, and release at the county level information on approved varieties suitable for local planting.
⟦NL> Strictly supervise the seed market. For key supervision regions, fully launch the special campaign to combat seed counterfeiting and fake sales, check all markets, stores and varieties sold in key areas, and strictly prevent unauthorized and prematurely promoted seeds, counterfeit-labelled infringing seeds, and illegal seeds of unknown origin from entering the market and being planted in fields. For enterprises, stores and markets placed on the supervision blacklist, keep close watch; once evidence of illegal counterfeiting and fake sales is obtained, resolutely deal with it strictly according to law.
Strictly investigate major and important cases. Strengthen joint law enforcement by departments and across regions, intensify the investigation and handling of major seed cases, and use major cases as a breakthrough to trace and destroy the chain of seed counterfeiting and fake sales. Agricultural departments at all levels must regularly report and expose major seed cases within their jurisdiction, make case investigation information public in a timely manner, resolutely eliminate practices such as failing to investigate cases, not transferring major cases, and substituting fines for criminal punishment, intensify case investigation and handling, and create deterrence against lawbreakers.
Improve the long-term supervision mechanism. Actively promote the establishment of a variety identity labelling system, advance reform of the variety management system, expand the scope of traceability pilot projects, implement entrusted seed operations, and explore fundamental solutions to market chaos such as unauthorized and premature promotion and counterfeit labelling.
Implement territorial main responsibilities. Strengthen organizational leadership, reinforce training and guidance, standardize law enforcement conduct, improve testing conditions and law enforcement equipment, guarantee working funds, strengthen the building of seed law enforcement teams, and improve law enforcement efficiency and standards. Establish an administrative and disciplinary accountability mechanism; for law enforcement agencies that fail to act, act slowly or act arbitrarily, pursue administrative responsibility according to law, and for those who shield or tolerate counterfeiting and fake sales, pursue Party discipline and administrative disciplinary accountability.