Recently, data from the Forestry Plant New Variety Protection Office of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration showed that as of the end of 2018, China had accepted 3,715 applications for new forestry plant varieties at home and abroad, and granted 1,763 new plant variety rights. Among them, 904 applications were accepted in 2018. 405 pieces were awarded.

It is reported that China's forestry authorized new plant varieties present characteristics including: the authorized genera (species) are mainly Rose and Populus. As of the end of 2017, the authorized numbers were as follows: 295 cases of Rosa genus, accounting for 21.72%; 16 cases of Populus genus, accounting for 9.28%; and 79 cases of Camellia genus, accounting for 5.82%. Forestry authorized new plant varieties are mainly woody ornamental plants. From 1999 to 2017, among the new forestry authorized plant varieties, 897 were woody ornamental plants, accounting for 66.05%; forest trees were 252, accounting for 18.56%; economic forests (fruit trees) were 151, accounting for 11.12%. From the analysis of application countries, from 1999 to 2017, domestic applicants obtained 1,170 new forestry plant variety rights, accounting for 86.16%; a total of 10 foreign countries obtained 188 new plant variety rights in China, accounting for 13.84%. . The new varieties authorized by foreign variety right holders are mainly roses, mainly ornamental plants. Germany, the Netherlands, and France rank among the top three, obtaining 57, 46 and 30 new plant variety rights respectively. Among the 3 countries, except for Germany, 15 are Euphorbia, and the rest are Rosa.

The relevant person in charge stated that the number of applications and grants of new varieties of forestry plants in China has increased significantly in recent years, indicating that the protection of new varieties of forestry plants in China has entered a period of rapid development. (Source: China Intellectual Property News)