Seed emergency notice

The National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Agriculture jointly released an emergency notice requiring agricultural and price monitoring departments to check up on seed prices and quality. The campaign is motivated by rising seed prices ahead of the spring planting period and abnormal weather events.

The notice calls for setting up a seed market monitoring and reporting system. They are to make sure seed supply and demand are balanced in each region, watch the structure of seed varieties, marketing channels, and sale methods. The reports are supposed to be released to the public to guide farmers in "scientifically" choosing seeds.

The emergency system will attempt to guide seed prices, adopting price controls when necessary, to prevent large increases in seed prices. Illegal speculators or hoarders will be severely punished.

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