On December 18th, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs hosted a standing meeting to strengthen the protection and utilization of agricultural species resources.

The meeting pointed out that agricultural species resources and livestock genetic resources are valuable assets of China. With the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization, the transformation of agricultural cultivation methods, and the changes in climate and ecological environment, the types and quantities of agricultural species resources have continued to decline, some varieties are in danger and the protection situation is extremely severe. The seed industry management department should take up the responsibility, all relevant departments and bureaus should actively cooperate with each other to jointly promote the protection and utilization of agricultural species resources.

The meeting emphasized that the protection and utilization of agricultural species resources is a strategic, basic and public welfare work. It is necessary to clarify the principles and key tasks of the work, and establish a protection system based on national protection, supported from science and education institutions. Improving the protection pattern of combining the protection of origin and the preservation of different places, promoting the resource protection and utilization, combining the resource advantages and industrial advantages. At present, it is necessary to speed up the progress of the third national survey on the collection of agricultural species resources, especially for endangered crops, and take timely rescue measures. Accelerate the construction of a new long-term library of national crops, and grasp the construction of national-level livestock and poultry resources conservation field.

Source: Farmers' Daily

Time: 2018.12.19