Order of the President of the People’s Republic of China

No. 45

The Animal Husbandry Law of the People’s Republic of China, adopted at the 19th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China on December 29, 2005, is hereby promulgated and shall go into effect as of July 1, 2006.

Hu Jintao

President of the People’s Republic of China

December 29, 2005

Animal Husbandry Law of the People’s Republic of China

(Adopted at the 19th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People’s Congress on December 29, 2005)

Contents

Chapter I General Provisions

Chapter II Protection of Genetic Resources of Livestock and Poultry

Chapter III Selective Breeding of the Breeding Livestock and Poultry and Production and Operation in This Respect

Chapter VI Breeding of Livestock and Poultry

Chapter V Trading in and Transportation of Livestock and Poultry

Chapter VI Guarantee for Quality and Safety

Chapter VII Legal Responsibility

Chapter VIII Supplementary Provisions

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 This law is enacted in order to standardize the production and operation in animal husbandry, to guarantee the quality and safety of livestock and poultry products, to protect and make rational use of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry, to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of the producers and operators in animal husbandry and to promote sustained and healthy development of animal husbandry.

Article 2 This Law is applicable to protection and utilization of the genetic resources, breeding, raising, operation and transportation of livestock and poultry within the territory of the People’s Republic of China.

For the purposes of this Law, livestock and poultry mean the livestock and poultry given in the catalogue of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry published in accordance with the provisions of Article 11 of this Law.

The relevant provisions of this Law shall be applicable to protection and utilization of, as well as production and operation in, bee and silkworm resources.

Article 3 The State supports the development of animal husbandry and gives play to its role in the development of agriculture and the rural economy as well as in the increase of the farmers’ incomes. People’s governments at or above the county level shall take measures to strengthen the construction of infrastructure for animal husbandry, to encourage and support large-scale raising and breeding, to push forward the industrialized operation of animal husbandry, to increase all-round productivity of animal husbandry and to develop quality, highly efficient, ecologically sound and safe animal husbandry.

The State assists and supports the development of animal husbandry in minority nationality areas and poverty-stricken areas, protect and rationally utilize grasslands and improve the conditions of production in animal husbandry.

Article 4 The State takes measures to train professionals for animal veterinary, to promote scientific and technological research in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine and the wide use of the research results, to disseminate scientific and technological knowledge of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine and provide information concerning animal husbandry and veterinary medicine and to promote scientific and technological progress in animal husbandry.

Article 5 Producers and operators in animal husbandry may, of their own free will, establish an association of the industry according to law, in order to provide to their members services in the terms of information, technology, marketing, training, etc., improve self-regulation of the industry and protect the interests of their members and the industry.

Article 6 Producers and operators in animal husbandry shall perform the duty of animal epidemic prevention and environmental protection according to law and accept the supervision and inspection carried out by relevant departments in charge according to law.

Article 7 The administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council shall be in charge of supervision and administration over animal husbandry nationwide. The administrative departments for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the local people’s governments at or above the county level shall be in charge of supervision and administration over animal husbandry within their own administrative areas.

The relevant competent departments of the people’s governments at or above the county level shall, within the scope of their respective duties, be responsible for promoting the development of animal husbandry.

Article 8 The administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council shall give guidance to producers and operators in animal husbandry to help them improve the conditions and environment for the breeding, raising and transportation of livestock and poultry.

Chapter II Protection of Genetic Resources of livestock and poultry

Article 9 The State establishes the system for protection of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry. People’s governments at various levels shall take measures to strengthen protection of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry, and the funds for protection of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry shall be incorporated in their respective financial budgets.

The State plays the major role in protection of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry, and encourages and supports the relevant units and individuals to develop undertakings for protection of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry according to law.

Article 10 The administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council shall set up a national commission for genetic resources of livestock and poultry, to be composed of specialists, which shall be responsible for identification and assessment of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry as well as for verification of new breeds and synthetic strains of livestock and poultry, and shall provide demonstration of the plans for protecting and utilizing the genetic resources of livestock and poultry and offer consultancy regarding protection of such resources.

Article 11 The administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council shall be responsible for organizing investigations of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry, releasing reports on the conditions of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry of the country and publishing the catalogue of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry approved by the State Council.

Article 12 The administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council shall, on the basis of the geological distribution of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry, make the national plan for protecting and utilizing such resources, draw up and publish the directory of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry under protection at the national level, and provide special protection for the genetic resources of precious, rare and endangered genetic resources of livestock and poultry which are of Chinese origin.

The administrative departments for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the people’s governments at the provincial level shall, based on the national plan for protecting and utilizing the genetic resources of livestock and poultry and the conditions of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry within their administrative areas, draw up and publish the directory of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry under protection at the provincial level, and submit them for the record to the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council.

Article 13 The administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council, in accordance with the national plan for protecting and utilizing the genetic resources of livestock and poultry and the directory of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry under protection at the national level, and the administrative departments for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the people’s governments at the provincial level, in accordance with the directory of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry under protection at the provincial level, shall respectively set up or determine the breeds reservation farms, protection zones and gene banks of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry, which shall assume the task of protecting the genetic resources of livestock and poultry.

No breeds reservation farms, protection zones or gene banks of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry sponsored by the Central Government or provincial governments shall dispose of the protected genetic resources of livestock and poultry without approval by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council or by such a department under the people’s government at the provincial level.

Gene banks of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry shall, in accordance with the regulations of the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council or of such a department under the people’s government at the provincial level, regularly collect and update their genetic data on livestock and poultry. The units and individuals concerned shall cooperate with the gene banks of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry in collecting genetic data on livestock and poultry, and shall have the right to receive appropriate financial compensation.

The measures for administration of the breeds reservation farms, protection zones and gene banks of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry shall be formulated by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council.

Article 14 Before sending newly discovered genetic resources of livestock and poultry for identification by the national commission for genetic resources of livestock and poultry, the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the people’s government at the provincial level shall draw up a protection plan, take provisional protective measures, and submit the matter for the record to the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council.

Article 15 Where genetic resources of livestock and poultry are to be introduced from abroad, an application shall be submitted to the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the people’s government at the provincial level; and after examination, the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine that accepts the application shall submit the application to the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council for approval after assessment and demonstration. Upon approval, the relevant formalities shall be gone through and quarantine inspection shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine.

Where it is discovered that the genetic resources of livestock and poultry introduced from abroad are harmful, or may become harmful, to the genetic resources of livestock and poultry and the ecological environment at home, the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council shall, after consultation with the relevant departments in charge, take the necessary safety and control measures.

Article 16 Where an entity intends to export the genetic resources of livestock and poultry included in the directory for protection or conduct research in the utilization of the above in cooperation with a foreign institution or individual in China, it shall submit an application, together with a plan for the benefits to be jointly shared by the countries concerned, to the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the people’s government at the provincial level; and after examination, the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine that accepts the application shall submit the application to the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council for approval.

Where genetic resources of livestock and poultry are to be exported abroad, the relevant formalities shall be gone through and quarantine inspection shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine as well.

Before newly discovered genetic resources of livestock and poultry are identified by the national commission for genetic resources of livestock and poultry, they shall not be exported abroad, and no research in their utilization shall be conducted in cooperation with any institution or individual from abroad.

Article 17 The measures for examination and approval in respect of the entry and exit of genetic resources of livestock and poultry and in respect of research in their utilization in cooperation with foreign entities shall be formulated by the State Council.

Chapter III Selective Breeding of the Breeding Livestock and Poultry and Production and Operation in This Respect

Article 18 The State gives aid to the selective breeding of different strains of livestock and poultry and to the wide use of improved strains, supports enterprises, colleges and universities, scientific research institutions and technological popularization units in their effort to carry out joint breeding and set up a system for the breeding of improved strains of livestock and poultry.

Article 19 Prior to their wide use, the new strains of livestock and poultry, their synthetic strains and the newly discovered genetic resources of livestock and poultry shall undergo verification or identification by the national commission for genetic resources of livestock and poultry, and the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council shall announce the results thereof. The measures for verification of the new strains of livestock and poultry and their synthetic strains and the measures for identification of the genetic resources of livestock and poultry shall be formulated by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council. The expenses for testing and checking required for verification or identification shall be borne by the applicants, and the measures for collecting such expenses shall be formulated by the finance and pricing departments under the State Council in conjunction with the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council.

Intermediate testing conducted in respect of the new strains of livestock and poultry and their synthetic strains shall be subject to approval by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the people’s government at the provincial level where such testings are conducted.

The legitimate rights and interests of the breeders of new strains of livestock and poultry and their synthetic strains shall be protected by law.

Article 20 The breeding, testing, verification and wide use of the transgenic strains of livestock and poultry shall be in conformity with the regulations of the State on control of agricultural transgenic organisms.

Article 21 The institutions for dissemination of animal husbandry and veterinary technologies at or above the provincial level may organize to conduct registration of individual fine strains of the breeding livestock, and recommend fine strains of the breeding livestock to the community. The rules for the registration of the fine strains of breeding livestock shall be formulated by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council.

Article 22 Units or individuals that intend to engage in production and operation in the breeding or in the commercial production of young livestock and poultry shall obtain the license for production and operation of breeding livestock and poultry. Applicants shall, according to law, register with the administrative department for industry and commerce on the strength of the license for production and operation in the breeding livestock and poultry, and they may engage in activities in this area only after obtaining the business license.

To obtain the license for production and operation in the breeding livestock and poultry, the applicant shall meet the following conditions:

(1) The breeding livestock and poultry for production and operation must be the breeds and the synthetic strains that have gone through the verification or identification by the national commission for genetic resources of livestock and poultry, or the breeds and synthetic strains introduced from abroad upon approval;

(2) They have animal husbandry and veterinary technicians commensurate with the scale of production and operation;

(3) They have the breeding facilities and equipment commensurate with the scale of the production and operation;

(4) They have the conditions for prevention of epidemic diseases among the breeding livestock and poultry, as required by laws and administrative regulations as well as by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council;

(5) They have the sound systems for quality control and for recording the breeding of strains; and

(6) They have the other conditions as provided for by laws and administrative regulations.

Article 23 To apply for the license for production and operation of such genetic material as the ova, frozen sperms and embryos of livestock, the applicant shall, in addition to conforming to the conditions provided for in the second paragraph of Article 22 of this Law, meet the following conditions:

(1) the conditions for laboratories and for safekeeping and transportation, as specifies by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council;

(2) the requirements for the quantity and quality of the breeding livestock, as specified by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council;

(3) the embryos obtained from adoscuolation and the ova to be used come from unequivocal sources, and the donors conform to the standards and requirements, as specified by the State with regard to the health and quality of the breeding livestock; and

(4) other technical requirements specified by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council.

Article 24 For obtaining the license for production and operation of such genetic material as the ova, frozen sperms and embryos of livestock, an application shall be submitted to the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the people’s government at the provincial level. The said department that accepts the application shall, within 30 working days from the date it receives the application, complete the examination of the application and shall submit it to the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council for examination and approval; and the said department under the State Council shall, within 60 working days from the date it receives the application, make a decision, in accordance with law, on whether to issue such a license.

The license for production and operation of other breeding livestock and poultry shall be issued after examination by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the local people’s government at or above the county level. The specific measures for examination and issuance of such license shall be formulated by a people’s government at the provincial level.

The form of the license for production and operation of breeding livestock and poultry shall be worked out by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council, and it shall be valid for a period of three years. The cost of such license issued may be collected. The specific administrative measures for collection of the cost shall be formulated by the finance and pricing departments under the State Council.

Article 25 In the license for production and operation of the breeding livestock and poultry shall clearly be stated such matters as the name or title of the producer or operator, the address of the farm (factory), the scope of production or operation and the beginning and ending dates of the valid term of the license.

No unit or individual shall engage in production or operation of the breeding livestock and poultry without the license for the production and operation of breeding livestock and poultry or in violation of the provisions of the license for production and operation of the breeding livestock and poultry. Forging, altering, transferring and leasing of the license for production and operation of the breeding livestock and poultry are prohibited.

Article 26 There is no need for a rural household to obtain a license for production and operation of the breeding livestock and poultry, if its breeding livestock and poultry are bred and raised for its own use or it has a small number of surplus young livestock and poultry for sale, or if rural households raise sires to help each other in breeding.

Article 27 Persons specially engaged in the breeding of livestock, such as artificial insemination and embryo transplantation, shall obtain the necessary professional qualification certificate of the State.

Article 28 To launch an advertisement for the breeding livestock and poultry, an advertiser shall provide the license for production and operation of the breeding livestock and poultry and the business license. The contents of such advertisement shall be in conformity with the provisions of relevant laws and administrative regulations, and the name or title of the verifier or identifier for the breeds of the breeding livestock and poultry and the synthetic strains shall clearly be stated; and the descriptions of their main characters shall be in conformity with the standards for such breeds and synthetic strains.

Article 29 The breeding livestock and poultry for sale and the sires used by artificial insemination stations for livestock must meet the standards for breeding. The breeding livestock and poultry for sale shall have attached to them the qualification certificate of the breeding livestock and poultry issued by the breeding livestock and poultry farms, the quarantine certificate issued by the supervisory institution for animal epidemic prevention, and the breeding livestock for sale shall, in addition, have attached to them the pedigree issued by the breeding livestock and poultry farms.

Complete records shall be kept for the collection, sale, transplantation, etc. of such genetic material produced as the ova, frozen sperms and embryos of the livestock, and the records shall be kept for two years.

Article 30 No entity shall commit one of the following acts in selling the breeding livestock and poultry:

(1) to pass the breeds and synthetic strains of other livestock and poultry off as the breeds and synthetic strains of the breeding livestock and poultry displayed for sale;

(2) to pass the breeding livestock and poultry of an inferior generation off as the ones of a superior generation;

(3) to pass the livestock and poultry that do not meet the breeding standards off as the breeding livestock and poultry;

(4) to sell the breeding livestock and poultry imported without approval;

(5) to sell the breeding livestock and poultry with no qualification certificate or quarantine certificate of the breeding livestock and poultry attached to them, or to sell the breeding livestock with no pedigree attached to them, as provided for by Article 29 of this Law; or

(6) to sell the breeds and synthetic strains of the breeding livestock and poultry that are not verified or identified.

Article 31 To apply for import of the breeding livestock and poultry, the applicant shall have the license for production and operation of the breeding livestock and poultry. The valid term of the approval document for import of the breeding livestock and poultry shall be six months.

The imported breeding livestock and poultry shall meet the technical requirements prescribed by the administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the State Council. With respect to the breeding livestock and poultry imported for the first time, their breeding characters shall be subject to assessment by the national commission for genetic resources of livestock and poultry.

In addition to the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs, the relevant provisions of Articles 15 and 16 of this Law shall be applicable to control of the import and export of the breeding livestock and poultry.

The State encourages the breeders of livestock and poultry to make selective breeding of new breeds and the synthetic strains of the imported livestock and poultry; and before such new breeds and synthetic strains for selective breeding are used on a broad scale, they shall be subject to verification by the national commission for genetic resources of livestock and poultry.

Article 32 Where farms and hatcheries of the breeding livestock and poultry sell young livestock and poultry as commercial products, they shall provide the buyers with the main points in relation to the young livestock and poultry they are selling as commercial products, such as the norms of their productive properties, their immunity to diseases, and the technical requirements for their breeding, as well as with the relevant consultancy services, and shall attach to them the quarantine certificates issued by the supervisory institution for animal epidemic prevention.

Where losses are caused to the breeders of livestock and poultry due to the quality of the breeding livestock and poultry sold or the quality of the young livestock and poultry sold as commercial products, compensation for such losses shall be made according to law.

Article 33 The administrative department for animal husbandry and veterinary medicine under the people’s government at or above the county level shall be in charge of supervision and control over the quality and safety of the breeding livestock and poultry. Statutorily qualified institutions for examination of the quality of the breeding livestock and poultry shall be entrusted with the supervision over and examination of the quality and safety of the breeding livestock and poultry; and the expenses required for such examination shall be defrayed in accordance with the regulations of the State Council, and shall not be collected from the persons for whom such examination has been conducted.

Article 34 The relevant provisions of this Law shall be applicable to protection of silkworm egg resources, the selective breeding of new strains, their production and operation, as well as their wide use. The specific administrative measures in this respect shall be formulated by the administrative department for agriculture under the State Council.