22 December 2023, China: The State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs recently issued an announcement to release and implement the “Crop Seed Certification Catalog (First Batch)” and “Crop Seed Certification Implementation Rules (Trial)”.
In August 2023, the two departments jointly issued the “Implementation Opinions on Carrying out Crop Seed Certification Work”, marking the official establishment of the national crop seed certification system. The “Crop Seed Certification Catalog (First Batch)” and “Crop Seed Certification Implementation Rules (Trial)” released this time are important supporting technical documents for the specific implementation of the crop seed certification system. 11 crops including rice, wheat, corn, and soybeans have been included in the first batch of seed certification catalogs; the implementation rules for crop seed certification set out the competency requirements, certification procedures, certification certificates, and mark management for certification agencies and certification personnel. Specific provisions have been made to improve seed quality through strengthening process management and ensure the supply of high-quality seed sources.
