1st Ld-Writethru: China adopts revised Seed Law to spur innovation

China's top legislature on Wednesday adopted revisions to the Seed Law, the first change to the legislation since it was enacted in 2000.

The revised law leaves the major-crop seed approval system unchanged, but has cut the types of seed that require regulatory approval before hitting the market from 28 to five -- rice, corn, wheat, soybean and cotton. The reduction is meant to stimulate innovation in seed research while guaranteeing China's food security.

Producers for other seeds will only need to register their products with regulators, according to the new law.

The revised law was voted on by lawmakers at the end of a six-day bimonthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

China's seed market, at more than 100 billion yuan (15.8 billion U.S. dollars), is the second largest after the United States.

The revised law has also cut red tape for seed production, merging current production and trading licenses into one.

The revisions increased penalties for selling counterfeit or sub-standard seeds, allowing buyers to demand compensation not only from sellers but also from producers. Counterfeit seed trade is a rampant problem in China.

The draft law adopts a prudent attitude toward GM seeds, saying that breeding, testing and promotion of GM seeds must be assessed and controlled.

Agricultural and forestry authorities should strengthen their management of GM seeds and release information in a timely manner, according to the new law. Endi