MOA to relax seed, seedling sale rules

FLEXIBILITY: Local governments would be able to decide their own plant nursery size requirements and grant certificates to online sellers without physical stores

• By Yang Yuan-ting and Esme Yeh / Staff reporters

• • Add TT as Preferred Source

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Seed and seedling business operators without a fixed place of business could apply for a plant seed enterprise registration certificate at the end of this month at the earliest, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said.

The Plant Variety and Plant Seed Act (植物品種及種苗法) stipulates that seed and seedling businesses cannot operate without such a certificate, and those who want to apply for the certificate need to own a fixed place of business.

Those who sell seeds or seedlings without a certificate could be fined by local authorities, the act states.

Seedlings are pictured in an undated photograph.

Photo: Taipei Times

The ministry said it has asked local governments to allow businesses without the certificate to sell seeds or seedlings as long as the products are edible, or for ornamental or educational purposes.

Given the booming online demand for seeds and seedlings, requirements for the certificate would be relaxed, it said.

The act has long been criticized for its vague wording. The situation continued until a horticultural operator allegedly filed multiple reports to several local governments regarding online seed and seedling sellers that were operating without a certificate.

Such reports caused concern among the tens of thousands of plant sellers in Taiwan, the ministry said.

In June, it issued an administrative interpretation to local governments, saying that registration certificates are not required for the sale of seeds or seedlings that are edible, or for ornamental or educational purposes.

To ensure sellers’ rights, the ministry’s Agriculture and Food Agency announced it would revise the Requirements and Facility Standards for the Qualification of Plant Seed Enterprises (種苗業者應具備條件及設備標準) to align with the trend of e-commerce, allowing seed and seedling sellers without a fixed place of business to apply for the certificate.

Regulations on applicants’ plant nursery area would also be changed: from a required 1,000m2 or more to allowing local governments to decide on the size, according to the plant’s species or seedling’s characteristics.

Vegetable and Seedling Industry Division section chief Fu Li-chung (傅立忠) said the regulatory change aims to make local administrative work more flexible.

It would allow local governments to grant certificates to online sellers that do not have a physical place of business, or those who propagate seeds or seedlings at small scales, he said.

The agency said it would consult experts and academics about formulating more specific regulations on business types and crop items.

Such regulations would be aimed at critical cash crops, the quality of which must be strictly maintained to ensure farmers’ revenue, it said.

Draft revisions regarding the relaxation of restrictions for the certificate application have a 14-day notice period, the ministry said.

If no disagreement is put forward during the period, the revised act and requirements would be implemented by the end of this month at the earliest, it added.