The production and operation of GM (genetically modified) cotton seeds would conform to new revised Genetically Modified Cotton Seeds Production and Operation Permitting Regulations, issued by Department of Agriculture (No.2436 Announcement by Department of Agriculture, China) on Oct.18, 2016. GM Cotton Seeds Production and Business Licenses those acquired before Oct.18 will still be valid. As for those licenses’ validity will expire from Oct.18 to Dec.31, the original licenses auto extend to Dec.31.

The GM Cotton Seeds Production and Business License should be audit by the local provincial agricultural department, and issued by Ministry of Agriculture.

‍As for the applying condition of the license, in terms of variety, one should have GM cotton bred variety, or more than 1 variety as the first seed selection person, or more than 2 varieties as cooperative breeding, or more than 3 varieties as variety right assignee. The production and management varieties should through validation and acquire safety certificate. If one products and manages the authorized varieties, he or she must secure varieties owners’ writing agreement. As for the requires about the space and the instrument, the square of the office must over 200 ㎡; of the laboratory must over 150 ㎡; of the processing plants must over 500㎡; of the storehouse must over 500㎡, having the satisfactory equipment, such as electronic scale, biological microscope, autoclave, magnetic stirrer and so on, and being able to carry out four tests and molecular identifications. Moreover, the producer should have seed processing complete equipment whose total processing capacity are more than 1 tons per hour, equipped with chemical delinting of cotton seed instrument.

It also regulates some other requirements which conclude person requirements, production and operation region requirements, working condition requirements and management requirements.

Source: Xinhua Net

Time: 2016-10-18