Seed Industry should become a Breakthrough in driving Agricultural Innovation

On March 8, the fourth national training course on the development of modern seed industry held by the Ministry of Agriculture for four consecutive years was held in Beijing. Yu Xinrong, vice minister of agriculture, stressed at the training course that it is necessary to deepen reform, sharpen innovation, speed up the development of the modern seed industry, and strive to be the provider of scientific and technological achievements, the practitioner of reform, and the promoter of the modernization process of agriculture.

Yu Xinrong pointed out that at present, the reform measures of China's seed industry have taken root, and the development of the seed industry has achieved remarkable results. In launching the pilot project of the proportion of rights and interests, promoting the planning and construction of southern propagation, jointly tackling key problems of varieties, and promoting the flow of scientific and technological personnel, we dare to bite the hard bones and break through the key and difficult points one after another. Seed enterprises have seized development opportunities and achieved remarkable results. By the end of 2014, there were 5064 licensed seed enterprises in China, a decrease of 41.8 percent from three years ago. The innovation ability of enterprises accelerated. In 2014, enterprises applied for 626 new variety protection, an increase of 43% over the same period last year.

Yu Xinrong stressed: at present, as economic development enters a new normal, the most urgent task of the agricultural sector is to vigorously promote the transformation of agricultural development mode and structural adjustment, and the seed industry should become a breakthrough in agricultural innovation-driven development. In promoting the transformation of agriculture, the seed industry should play a leading role. It is necessary to speed up the cultivation and promotion of new varieties with high and stable yield, high added value, suitable for mechanical operation, light and simple cultivation, and efficient use of fertilizer and water; seed enterprises should take varieties as the core for technological integration and provide technical services for the whole process from planting to harvesting; the seed industry should actively "go out" and make use of global superior resources to enhance its core competitiveness. The seed industry should play a leading role in promoting agricultural restructuring. We will promote the breeding innovation of feed grain varieties and forage varieties, and guide the "three-way" structural adjustment of grain, economic and feed crops. In deepening reform and innovation, the seed industry should play a vanguard role.

Yu Xinrong demanded that it is necessary to accurately grasp the new trend of development and vigorously promote the modernization of the seed industry. First, it is necessary to stimulate the innovative vitality of scientific and technological personnel, optimize the allocation of "resources", and strive to master a number of core technologies with independent intellectual property rights and significant application value in the frontier fields of science and technology in the world seed industry. Second, it is necessary to become bigger and stronger and specialize in fine enterprises. we should not only build two or three "aircraft carriers" of the seed industry, but also speed up the cultivation of specialized and service-oriented enterprises. Third, it is necessary to cultivate and popularize fine varieties that meet the needs of the times, build a mechanism for "breeding" good varieties, improve the system for "judging" good varieties, and innovate the mode of "promoting" good varieties. Fourth, we should take the road of international development of the seed industry, strengthen confidence, muster up courage, and boldly "go out." Fifth, it is necessary to promote the management of species according to law, highlight the fight against counterfeiting and protect rights, and change the mode of management.

More than 200 responsible comrades of the national provincial seed administration (station), the new plant variety testing (sub) center of the Ministry of Agriculture and the integrated seed enterprises of breeding, propagation and promotion participated in the training.