China amends laws on agro-tech popularization

BEIJING -- A draft amendment to the Laws on the Popularization of Agricultural Technology stipulates that national-level institutions for agro-technical popularization should employ professionals with college degrees or greater.

Professional technicians should also pass a technical assessment organized by related government departments above the county level, the draft says.

The draft is undergoing a second reading by the National People's Congress Standing Committee, China's top legislature, at a bimonthly session that began Monday.

According to the draft, all of the positions provided in the institutions of agro-technical popularization at township level should be professional positions.

Moreover, the positions in the institutions of agro-technical popularization at national level should be no less than 70 percent of the total positions, the draft says.

Also, national-level institutions offering agro-technical popularization should perform public duties, and provide free agro-technical popularization to agricultural workers and organizations.

The draft stipulates that government at all levels should introduce key agricultural technology and implement monitoring and prevention over crop pests and agricultural disasters.

China will increase the investment in agricultural technology and governments at all levels should guarantee the funds to popularize agricultural technology, the draft says.

The liability system and assessment mechanism should be established and the opinions from the farmers who receive the service should be listed among the assessments, in order to promote technology use in the country's agricultural industry, the draft says.

Chinese lawmakers read the draft amendment for the first time on the agricultural technology promotion law, in April.