On June 8, the first International Training Course on New Plant Variety Protection in China, hosted by Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and jointly organized by Science and Technology Development Center under the MOA and South China Agricultural University, was convened at Guangzhou city, the provincial capital of Guangdong.

Officials engaging in the protection of new varieties of plants from eight ASEAN countries Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as staff of sub-centers on testing new varieties of plants under the Ministry of Agriculture, participated in the training.

Vice Director of Department of Science and Technology and Education of MOA Shi Yanquan addressed the opening ceremony. Shi said, as a member of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV for short), China is willing to work together with the East Asian countries, and constantly improve the system of protecting new varieties of plants, vigorously carry out cooperation and exchanges, and promote the development of agricultural new plant varieties protection cause.

And he also wished to have more opportunities to share China's experiences and technologies with other countries.

The training is the first international training course held in China since its implementation of new varieties of plants protection system, and also an important action of China's statement acting as the president country of Second Session of the East Asia Forum on the Protection of New Varieties of Plants.

At the training, China organized some most outstanding teachers to give lectures for students on basic knowledge of UPOV and DUS testing, rice field DUS testing technology, and China's new varieties of plants protection system and the review and testing process of new varieties of plants. [Chinese version is available on Agri.gov.cn]