Fighting a Good Seed Security War, Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission: Be Vigilant of Corruption in the Seed Field, Grain | Organs | Fields
Seeds are the "chips" of agriculture and an important guarantee of food security. To firmly grasp the initiative of food security and ensure the production capacity and quality of food, it is necessary to grasp the key of seed safety. In recent years, disciplinary inspection and supervision agencies in various regions have adhered to a strict tone and taken strict measures to deepen the special rectification of corruption in the field of grain purchase and sales. They have investigated and dealt with a number of cases involving seed safety and endangering grain production, providing strong guarantees for consolidating the foundation of grain security and comprehensively promoting rural revitalization.
Through the investigation and prosecution of cases, corruption and misconduct in the seed industry are mainly manifested in three aspects: seeking personal gain through power, relying on planting to eat seeds, and dereliction of duty. During the period of unified seed supply, some seed management enterprises actively approached relevant staff with "representations" for the purpose of being shortlisted for subsidy varieties, shortening the subsidy settlement cycle, and increasing the supply area. Cadres and businessmen colluded with each other and engaged in profit transmission. For example, utilizing the convenience of inviting reviewers to help companies smoothly pass the bidding process and obtain benefits by being shortlisted for subsidy varieties.
Seeds are a highly profitable means of agricultural production. Some agricultural departments, town and village party members and cadres feel that there is an opportunity to take advantage of and profit, and then use crooked thinking, or falsely borrow the qualifications of others, or open "husband and wife shops", or act as "shadow shareholders", or help seed enterprises run business and obtain commissions, and participate in seed business in various ways in violation of regulations. For example, in a case, a family member of a party member or cadre borrowed their qualifications to act as an agent for the operation of wheat seeds and participated in a wheat seed subsidy project to make a profit.
Some party members and cadres have a tendency towards inaction, slow action, and disorderly behavior. On the one hand, there is a lack of introduction, demonstration, and promotion of high-quality new varieties, coupled with the failure to break the long-term supply chain of benefits, resulting in farmers still unable to plant good seeds, which affects the increase and quality of grain production. On the other hand, inadequate supervision of the seed industry market has led to the frequent occurrence of "fake seeds" and "counterfeit seeds", seriously infringing on the interests of seed industry researchers and posing safety risks to stable food production. Previously, village officials in Qibo Town, Yanting County, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, helped a company in Chongqing sell seeds and receive "labor fees". Due to substandard seed quality, serious losses were caused to farmers. After investigation, it was found that this incident involved 28 villages and more than 80 village cadres, who sold more than 9300 bags of corn seeds and received a "labor fee" of 38790 yuan. Some of the profit-making funds of 21900 yuan have been recovered.
The causes of chaos in the seed field are complex, and the inadequate performance of party organizations in industry departments in fulfilling the main responsibility of comprehensive and strict party governance is one of the important factors. The Seed Law of the People's Republic of China clearly stipulates that agricultural, rural, forestry and grassland competent departments and their staff shall not participate in or engage in seed production and business activities. From the investigation and handling of cases, it can be seen that in some places, party members and cadres in functional departments such as agriculture and rural areas, especially party member leaders, have taken the lead in violating rules and regulations, which is more prominent. Some grassroots party organizations have neglected the management, education, inspection, and governance of party members and cadres within their scope of management, while a small number of party members and cadres rely on planting to eat, and are confident and fearless.
Food security prioritizes seeds. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to deeply implement the action of revitalizing the seed industry. The Central Rural Work Conference held at the end of December 2022 emphasized the need to focus on the two key points of arable land and seeds, effectively achieve results in the revitalization of the seed industry, and firmly grasp the dominant varieties in one's own hands.
Local party committees and governments at all levels, especially those in major grain producing and seed producing provinces and regions, should take on the main responsibility of ensuring food and seed security, grasp the regional, industry, and stage characteristics of the seed field, deepen rectification of common and recurring problems, and resolutely prevent unapproved "gray seeds" and counterfeit "black seeds" from entering the market. Disciplinary inspection and supervision organs at all levels should strengthen supervision and guarantee, urge relevant departments to establish and improve cross departmental and cross regional law enforcement linkage mechanisms, increase administrative law enforcement efforts, and strengthen the "iron fence" of the seed industry safety system mechanism. Adhere to the integration of case handling, rectification, and governance, and hold accountable strictly, accurately, and effectively for issues such as inaction, slow action, and disorderly behavior in seed safety, in order to effectively supervise and safeguard seed safety.
