The first plan for protection and development of new varieties of agricultural plants published in China suggests that, during the "11th Five-Year Plan" period, protection of new varieties of agricultural plants in the country should aim to advocate variety breeding innovation and generalization and application of new varieties, to turn advantage of resources into that of intellectual property, and cultivate a lot of seed industrial enterprises that have independent IPRs and brand products and are able to participate international competition.

During the "11th Five-Year Plan" period, the number of China's new agricultural plant varieties on the protection list will increase from the current 62 to more than 100 varieties, with the annual applications exceeding 1,000, and training courses be launched for over 1,000 persons/times engaged in review, test and intermediary service, and more than 10,000 persons/times engaged in seeds' right management and administrative law-enforcement. To this end, we shall use modern media and other means to conduct agricultural scientific researches, teaching and training of enterprises' staff and the public masses.   

In line with the general train of thoughts "scientific approval, interest safeguard, innovation encouragement and industry upgrading" and by prior improvement of the three systems of "law and regulation, technological support and management service" the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) will enhance its capacity of "countermeasure study, review and test, administrative law-enforcement and international communication" , lead agricultural scientific research institutes, education units and industrial enterprises to carry out the seeds' right strategy and nurture a host of superior seed industrial enterprises that have independent IPRs and brand name products and are able to participate international competition. 　

Director of the Education Department of the MOA Zhang Fengtong gave an introduction, saying, new varieties of plants constitute the most active production element promoting agricultural development, and also a strategic guarantee for agricultural sovereignty and grain security, occupation of the commanding ground of biological industry and enclosure and occupation of biological resources. China must make greater efforts to study its protection strategy for new varieties of plants, transform its advantage of resources into that of IPRs, take the commanding area of competition for agricultural technology industry and successfully acquire the initiative of agricultural production and trade of farm products. In this way, effective protection barriers can be built up for China's variety resources and drain of such resources and any loss to the country's interest can be prevented as well.

While maintaining the momentum of protecting new varieties of agricultural plants internationally and domestically, and closely keeping in light of the actual situation of China's agricultural development and breeding R&D, the MOA has worked out the plan for protection and development of new varieties of agricultural plants during "11th Five-Year Plan" period. The general goal is: further improve laws and regulations and related policies on the protection of new varieties of plants, give full play to the efficacy of system, strengthen construction of the technology support system for new varieties of agricultural plants, better basic conditions, increase technology preservation, improve the staff's quality and dramatically upgrade the capacity of review and test of new varieties. Meanwhile, improvement will be made in the administrative law-enforcement system for variety ownerships and law-enforcement conditions and procedure, with the level and efficiency being raised by a big margin. Externally, we shall further enhance our capacity of participating international affairs regarding variety ownerships and enlarge our space for international development. We shall conduct agricultural scientific research institutes, education units and industrial enterprises to carry out the variety ownership strategy and nurture a host of superior seed industrial enterprises that have independent IPRs and brand name products and are able to participate international competition.  

Zhang Fengtong said, implementing this plan well will certainly play an important role in cohering the staff, motivating the initiative and creativeness of various sectors, increase the general level of protection of China's new varieties of agricultural plants and science and technology, and speeding up construction of modern agriculture and socialist new countryside. To this end, the government, enterprises, producers, science and education units and media should all closely cooperate, and the agricultural administrative departments should set up as early as possible a law-enforcement mechanism with clear division of labor and by coordinated and unanimous action. They should strengthen their coordination and cooperation with other law-enforcement departments so that efforts can be pooled together to hit out jointly. Enterprises should design and carry out IP strategy and increase their own core competitiveness by virtue of their variety ownerships. Seed breeders should foster their awareness of variety ownerships, respect IPRs of others and maintain the market order of competition self-consciously. As for scientific and educational units, they should bring into full play the efficacy of the new variety protection system and increase the efficiency of hi-tech resources distribution and their capability of turning out and breeding new varieties.

Zhang Fengtong said, implementing this plan well will certainly play an important role in cohering the staff, motivating the initiative and creativeness of various sectors, increase the general level of protection of China's new varieties of agricultural plants and science and technology, and speeding up construction of modern agriculture and socialist new countryside. To this end, the government, enterprises, producers, science and education units and media should all closely cooperate, and the agricultural administrative departments should set up as early as possible a law-enforcement mechanism with clear division of labor and by coordinated and unanimous action. They should strengthen their coordination and cooperation with other law-enforcement departments so that efforts can be pooled together to hit out jointly. Enterprises should design and carry out IP strategy and increase their own core competitiveness by virtue of their variety ownerships. Seed breeders should foster their awareness of ownerships of varieties, respect IPRs of others and maintain the market order of competition self-consciously. As for scientific and educational units, they should bring into full play the efficacy of the new variety protection system and increase the efficiency of hi-tech resources distribution and their capability of turning out and breeding new varieties.