100 Violations Detected Through Distribution Inspections Last Year
Publicity on Seed Business Registration for Seed Potatoes, Green Onions, and Ginger
The Korea Seed & Variety Service (KSVS) announced on March 4 that, ahead of the full-scale farming season, it will conduct continuous distribution management and on-site inspections from March to May to establish sound distribution and market order for agricultural seeds and seedlings, and to monitor the illegal distribution of major crop seeds.
This year, in particular, the KSVS plans to conduct on-site publicity and distribution inspections for seed potatoes, green onions, and ginger, which have frequently been found in violation due to unregistered seed businesses. The agency will also continuously monitor seeds traded online. Last year, 100 violations were detected through distribution inspections, of which 74 cases were referred to the prosecution and 26 were fined.
During the spring season (March to May), when the distribution of vegetable seeds and fruit tree seedlings is most active, the KSVS will deploy special judicial police officers to intensively investigate illegal seed distribution. In addition, to minimize consumer damage caused by substandard seeds, the agency will conduct quality inspections (500 cases) focusing on companies with a high number of violations (those detected more than twice) and crops such as lettuce, hot peppers, and perilla, including germination rate tests and weight (seed count) checks.
Namyun Lee, Director of the Seed Industry Support Division at the KSVS, stated, "To promote the healthy distribution of seeds, we will continue on-site distribution inspections as well as education and publicity for seed companies. We also plan to expand education and publicity using online platforms so that consumers can easily understand seed-related regulations."
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