Management Measures for Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Compliance Certificates

The Management Measures for Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Compliance Certificates are established to standardize the administration of such certificates, enforce the primary responsibility of agricultural producers and operators, and ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products, in accordance with the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products."

Article 1 defines the "Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Compliance Certificate" (hereinafter referred to as the "Compliance Certificate") as a document issued by agricultural production enterprises, farmer cooperatives, individual farmers, or entities engaged in agricultural product procurement. It certifies that the agricultural products sold comply with safety standards, including the non-use of prohibited pesticides, veterinary drugs, or other compounds, and adherence to residue limits for conventional pesticides and veterinary drugs.

Article 2 specifies the agricultural products subject to Compliance Certificate management, including: 1. Vegetables (including cultivated edible fungi); 2. Fruits; 3. Fresh tea leaves; 4. Livestock and poultry; 5. Poultry eggs; 6. Aquaculture products; 7. Other agricultural products designated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Article 3 mandates that agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level provide guidance and oversight for the issuance, collection, and retention of Compliance Certificates, while strengthening routine inspections.

Article 4 requires county-level agricultural and rural authorities to maintain updated registries of agricultural production enterprises, farmer cooperatives, and procurement entities, ensuring dynamic management.

Article 5 encourages local governments to allocate budgetary support for Compliance Certificate administration.

Article 6 holds agricultural production enterprises and farmer cooperatives accountable for product safety, emphasizing proper use of agricultural inputs, accurate production records, and adherence to quality control measures.

Article 7 stipulates that Compliance Certificates must be issued per production batch at the place of origin, with records retained for at least six months. Certificates based on quality control require compliance with safety measures, while those based on testing must include batch-specific analyses.

Article 8 encourages individual farmers to adopt Compliance Certificates voluntarily. County-level authorities may establish service stations to offer technical guidance, rapid testing, and streamlined certificate issuance.

Article 9 obligates procurement entities to collect and retain Compliance Certificates for at least six months via photography, original/copy retention, or QR code scans. Products without certificates must not be procured. Bulk purchases may adopt random sampling for certificate verification.

Article 10 requires reprocessors or repackagers to issue new Compliance Certificates based on post-procurement quality controls or test results, with records kept for six months.

Article 11 extends certificate collection and retention rules to livestock slaughter operators.

Article 12 mandates e-commerce sellers to attach Compliance Certificates to agricultural products, with platform display encouraged.

Article 13 outlines certificate content requirements, including commitments, product details, origin, issuer, and contact information. Redundant labeling on packaging is exempted.

Article 14 permits digital, printed, or handwritten certificate issuance, with QR codes optionally integrated into traceability labels.

Article 15 specifies that packaged products must bear certificates affixed to or enclosed within packaging, while unpackaged products require batch-specific certificates.

Article 16 requires procurement entities to report incomplete, inaccurate, or non-compliant certificates to local agricultural authorities.

Article 17 prescribes penalties (RMB 100–1,000) for violations such as failure to issue certificates, non-compliant issuance, or improper collection/retention.

Article 18 mandates interdepartmental coordination between agricultural and market regulators to address non-compliant products or certificate violations.

Article 19 stipulates credit record entries and incentive/penalty measures for violators.

Article 20 defines "procurement" as direct purchases from producers and "same batch" as products harvested under identical quality controls.

Article 21 announces the measures' effective date as February 1, 2026.