Results of the National Special Campaign Against Counterfeit Seeds Announced

Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture announced the results of a special inspection of the national seed market. Seeds of 9 varieties from 7 provinces and municipalities failed to meet standards. The crop types of the substandard seeds were corn and rice, mainly including "Jingpin No. 6" produced by Beijing Lidu Woqi Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. and distributed by the Beijing Miyun Mijingxing Seed Business Department, and "Xianyu 335" produced by Dunhuang Seed Pioneer Fine Seed Co., Ltd. and distributed by Shengda Wuxing Seed Industry of Wuyuan County, Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia. In addition, 68 seed production bases were engaged in unlicensed production, including 63 plots in Gansu and 5 plots in Xinjiang. Among the larger areas were 1500 mu in She 2 of Jingyi Village, Wujiang Town, Ganzhou District, Zhangye City, Gansu, and 800 mu in the Sunjiawan area of Heiliangwan Village, Baojiadian Town, Manas County, Xinjiang. The seed production enterprises were Zhangye Fukai Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. and Zhangye Fengyu Xinlong Seed Co., Ltd. respectively.

Last winter and this spring, the Ministry of Agriculture arranged and deployed a national special campaign against counterfeit seeds. Through coordinated action with industry and commerce and public security departments, it strictly investigated key varieties, key bases, key markets, key enterprises and major cases. After more than a year of full-coverage supervisory inspection and testing, counterfeit and inferior seeds and unlicensed seed production bases were exposed, the crackdown on the seed market was intensified, its deterrent effect was enhanced, and market order further improved. Regarding the reported cases, the Ministry of Agriculture required the competent agricultural administrative departments of the relevant provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) to investigate and handle them promptly in accordance with the Seed Law and other relevant laws and regulations, and to transfer suspected criminal cases to judicial authorities for handling as required. The verified illegal production and operation entities and the relevant markets and bases are to be treated as key targets for future supervision, with strengthened supervision and inspection. The relevant provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) should promptly disclose information on concluded cases and report the investigation and handling results to the Seed Management Bureau.