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On March 2, 2022, the Supreme People's Court of China issued "Guiding Opinions on Further Strengthening the Criminal Trial Work Involving Seeds" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"). The Opinions clarify the general requirements for strengthening seed-related criminal trials, the application of law to seed-related crimes, and improvement of relevant enforcement mechanisms.

The People's Republic of China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued its first ever Five-Year Plan for geographical indications (GIs).

The Japanese Diet is poised to allocate a combined total of 3.2 trillion yen ($27.7 billion) to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) from the Government of Japan's 2021 supplementary budget and 2022 annual budget. MAFF's budget will see increased funding for export facilitation, smart agriculture development, and implementation of MAFF's Green Food System Strategy.

This report contains unofficial guidance issued by the Office of Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China for U.S. exporters that experience difficulties with having their products receive customs clearance due to facility registration issues created by General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) Decree 248.

Rice export prices increased 3 percent as exporters anticipate an increase in demand despite the weakening of the Thai baht to a one-month low.

Fearing rising prices and the perceived threat of sunflower oil shortages, customers have scrambled in recent days to stock up on cooking oils.

On February 22, 2022, India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published Stds/SP-05/Orders/FSSAI (E1317).

Russian invasion of Ukraine is expected to significantly affect Thai agriculture. Agricultural production costs are expected to increase 7-13 percent in livestock production and 10-17 percent in field crops due to the surge in prices of feed-quality grains and fertilizers.

Black Sea regional producers Ukraine and Russia are significant suppliers to India of nitrogen and potassic fertilizers utilized in agricultural production. FAS New Delhi sources indicate that a short supply of potassic fertilizers is unlikely to affect agricultural production prospects in the upcoming crop year in the major food grain belt of northwest India and the Indo Gangetic plains.

On February 15, 2022, the Philippines approved the revised Joint Department Circular No. 1 (JDC), streamlining the regulatory policy governing plant biotechnology. Signed by five Department Secretaries, the document was published in two newspapers on March 8, 2022, and will go into effect 15 days later.

The COVID-19 health crisis continues to change the behavior of consumers and shaping new trends in the food and restaurant industry. Restaurants and retail stores are producing new products and services that are based on the consumer trends towards health and wellness.

Since initiating the hostilities, Vladimir Putin’s Russian Federation’s war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine has led to volatility in different sectors of the global economy. For India and the region, trade is disrupted in the grains, oilseeds, fertilizer, and energy sectors.