The 40th Technical Working Party for Ornamental Plants and Forest Trees of UPOV was convened in Kunming on July 2. Li Dongsheng, the Deputy Director of Protection on New Variety of Plant Office at State Forestry Administration, pointed out that IP protection on new varieties of flower should be further improved and focus should be paid on protection of new varieties of plants by IP. In this way can flower industry of China be improved in the terms of scale, quality, market competitive power and effectiveness.

Li Dongsheng firstly briefed to the guests home and abroad the development of flower industry, protection on new varieties of plants and talked about the plan for future work. He addressed that flower industry is a newly-emerging one of forestry in China. After over 20 years' development, China has grown into one of the worldwide largest flower production bases, occupying an important role in the international flower production and trade pattern. Twenties years from 1984 to 2004 had witnessed that the plant acreage of flower has multiplied by 44 times, reaching 636 000 hectares and production value by 70 times, about RMB 43 billion yuan, foreign exchange-earning through exports by 71 times, i. e., US $ 14 0, 000, 000. Besides these achievements, many problems cannot be overlooked, for example, the structure of flower industry is unreasonable, it is limited in scale, variety and effectiveness, its operation and administration is at low level. Too much attention has been attached to production and quantity and circulation and quality has been neglected, which restricts by large export of flower of China with a proof that the ratio of export value of flower in China to total value of trade was as low as 2.7%.

Li said, the enforcement of Statute for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants in Oct. 1997 inputs new vital force to development of forestry and provides a valuable development opportunity for economic forestry and flower industry. So far, a total of 140 varieties of forestry trees and flowers have gained protection of new varieties of plant, which is now exerting an enormous impact on the development of forestry and flower industry. It is also playing an important role in readjusting and optimizing agricultural industry structure, increasing income of peasants and improving living environments and life level of general people.

He said that the production value of flower is expected to reach RMB 70 billion yuan by 2010, and 100 billion by 2020. The new variety of forestry plants by independently R&D is expected to reach 500 and the number of agents of new varieties is expected to reach 100 and 20 new plant varieties testing stations nationwide will be established. He ordered that to make these goals possible, we have combine development of flower industry to protection on new plant varieties and readjust administration system of flower industry and strengthen macro- direction on economic forestry and flower industry. Trade union should be better constructed into a universal, voluntary and service-oriented organization that is made up by the general people. Only in this way can it plays a better role in working as a bridge, providing service for memberships and right-defending and self-discipline. Protection on new flower variety by IP should be promoted, among them new plant variety by law in particular. Thus we can promote international cooperation in line with international standard and improve in the terms of scale, quality, market competitiveness and effectiveness.

(Farmer's Daily)