People's Governments of all cities (including Dingzhou and Xinjishi), People's Governments of all counties (cities, districts), the Management Committee of Xiongan New Area, and relevant departments of the Provincial Government:
The "Hebei Province Management Measures for the Examination and Issuance of Livestock and Poultry Breeding and Production Licenses" have been approved by the provincial government and are now distributed to you. Please ensure thorough implementation.
The "Hebei Province Management Measures for the Examination and Issuance of Livestock and Poultry Breeding and Production Licenses," issued by the General Office of the Hebei Provincial People's Government on May 31, 2011 (Hebei Government Office Letter [2011] No. 14), is hereby repealed simultaneously.
Hebei Provincial People's Government General Office
Hebei Province Livestock and Poultry Breeding and Production License
Audit and Distribution Management Measures
Chapter 1 General Provisions
Article 1: To strengthen the management of breeding livestock and poultry, standardize production and business practices, maintain market order, enhance the quality of breeding livestock and poultry and their products, and promote the healthy development of the province's animal husbandry industry, these Measures are formulated in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations such as the "Animal Husbandry Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "Administrative Licensing Law of the People's Republic of China," combined with the actual conditions of our province.
Article 2: Any entity or individual engaged in the production and marketing of breeding livestock and poultry, or in producing commercial-generation young animals and chicks within the administrative territory of this province, shall obtain a "Breeding Livestock and Poultry Production and Operation License" (hereinafter referred to as the "License") in accordance with the provisions of these Measures.
Farmers raising breeding livestock and poultry for self-sufficiency, as well as those with a small surplus of young animals or chicks for sale, and farmers using their breeding males for mutual breeding assistance, are not required to obtain a "License."
Article 3: For the purposes of these Measures, "units or individuals engaged in the production and operation of breeding livestock and poultry" include breeding farms, hatcheries affiliated with such farms, specialized poultry hatcheries, livestock improvement stations (or sites), as well as entities or individuals involved in the production and trade of genetic materials such as ova (eggs), semen, and embryos.
Chapter 2: Issuance Conditions and Approval/Issuance Authority
Article 4: Units or individuals applying for a License must meet the following conditions:
(1) Breeding livestock and poultry used in production must be varieties, crossbreed systems that have been approved or identified by the National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Committee, or foreign varieties and crossbreed systems officially approved for import by the agricultural and rural administration department under the State Council. Additionally, the breeding stock raised must meet the quantity requirements set during on-site evaluations and comply with breeding standards.
(2) There shall be veterinary and animal husbandry technicians adequate to the scale of production and operations. Personnel specifically engaged in reproductive techniques such as artificial insemination and embryo transplantation of livestock and poultry must hold the corresponding national vocational qualification certificates. At least 4 veterinary and animal husbandry technicians with at least an associate degree or an intermediate-level professional technical title, along with 2 livestock breeders, should be employed at provincial-level breeding farms. Meanwhile, city- and county-level breeding farms must have at least 2 technicians holding an associate degree or higher, or an intermediate-level professional technical title, plus 2 livestock breeders.
(III) Possess breeding facilities and equipment that are suitable for the scale of production and operations.
(4) Possess livestock and poultry breeding conditions that comply with laws, administrative regulations, and the requirements set forth by the agricultural and rural administration department under the State Council.
(5) There is a comprehensive quality management system in place for breeding stock selection and breeding, livestock management, management and use of inputs, safe production, production and sales, sanitary disease prevention, and waste disposal. Livestock farming records are systematically maintained, including complete pedigree information for breeding animals, detailed production performance records, and relevant technical documentation.
(6) Possess other conditions stipulated by laws and administrative regulations.
Article 5: Authority for Licensing and Permit Approval Issuance
(1) Licenses for the production of genetic materials such as frozen semen, embryos, and oocytes from livestock are approved and issued by the provincial-level administrative approval authority for breeding stock and germplasm resource farms (including local livestock genetic resource farms), as well as grandparent-level facilities for complementary breeding systems in livestock and poultry.
(2) The licenses for livestock and poultry breeding farms, grandparent stock farms for specialized breeding lines, parent stock farms for specialized poultry lines, and facilities producing and distributing fresh semen at ambient temperatures are approved and issued by the municipal-level administrative approval authority. Breeding pig farms are categorized into primary and secondary levels; notably, secondary-level breeding farms are prohibited from handling purebred animals.
(3) The licenses for parent stock breeding farms with complementary systems, livestock improvement stations (locations), single-species poultry hatcheries, and businesses that exclusively handle commercial-generation young livestock or chicks—as well as those solely focused on breeding livestock and poultry—are approved and issued by the county-level administrative approval authority.
The subsidiary hatchery within the poultry farm distributes incubation permits, which are approved and issued by the administrative approval department at the same level.
Chapter 3: Application Procedures and Timelines
Article 6: Units or individuals applying for a License shall submit their application and relevant materials to the appropriate administrative approval authority according to the prescribed approval jurisdiction. Upon receiving the application documents, the administrative approval authority responsible for review shall decide whether to accept the application either on the spot or within 5 working days. If the administrative agency accepts or rejects the administrative license application, it must issue a written certificate stamped with the official seal of the agency and clearly indicating the date. In cases where the application is rejected, the agency must provide a written explanation of the reasons. If the application is accepted, the authority shall render a formal written decision—either granting or denying the administrative license—within 10 working days from the date of acceptance. This includes a 5-day review period and another 5-day approval period. If a decision cannot be made within the initial 10-working-day timeframe, the head of the administrative agency may approve an extension of up to 10 additional working days, provided that the applicant is promptly informed of the reasons for the delay.
In instances where the application does not meet statutory conditions or standards, the agency must issue a written rejection notice, clearly stating the reasons and informing the applicant of their right to seek administrative reconsideration or file an administrative lawsuit as permitted by law.
For applications requiring inspections, tests, appraisals, or on-site expert reviews, the time needed to complete these processes will not count toward the overall license processing deadline. Instead, the agency must notify the applicant in writing that the entire process, including these additional steps, should be completed within a maximum of 30 working days.
Chapter 4: Application Materials and On-site Expert Review Procedures
Article 7: Application Documents.
(1) Application materials for the License:
1. Application Form for Hebei Province Livestock and Poultry Breeding and Production Operation License;
2. Floor plan of the production and operation site;
3. Supporting documents verifying the environmental assessment results;
4. Photocopy of the livestock breeding code certificate or the registration form for large-scale breeding farms;
5. Photocopies of educational qualifications or professional technical title certificates for key technical personnel;
6. Photocopy of the National Vocational Qualification Certificate for Animal Breeders;
7. Photocopy of the Livestock and Poultry Breeding and Production Operation License from the farm where the breeding stock was originally sourced (not required for farms that breed and raise their own stock; however, a photocopy of the "Application Form for Introduction of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources" issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs must be provided for stock introduced from overseas);
8. Photocopy of the Livestock and Poultry Breeding Stock Certificate for imported breeding stock (not required for farms that breed and raise their own stock or for stock imported from overseas);
9. Breeding and Selection Plan (not required for single hatcheries);
10. Pedigree records for breeding animals or the supply system;
11. Management System for Livestock and Poultry Farming Operations (covering areas such as feeding management, production and sales, input management, hygiene and disease prevention, immunization protocols, treatment of farming waste like manure, and safety production practices);
12. Standards to be followed when breeding stock leaves the farm.
(II) Application Documents for the License to Produce Livestock Genetic Materials. In addition to the documents listed above, applicants must also provide proof of the donor animal’s origin, a copy of the instrument and equipment verification report, and any other technical materials specified by the agricultural and rural administration department under the State Council.
(3) Application materials for the License to Operate Breeding Livestock and Poultry, as well as Livestock and Poultry Improvement Stations (Points). These include: the "Hebei Province Application Form for Breeding Livestock and Poultry Production and Operation License"; a floor plan of the production and operation site; photocopies of educational credentials or professional technical qualification certificates for key technical personnel; a photocopy of the National Vocational Qualification Certificate for Animal Breeders; proof of the origin of breeding livestock and poultry; and animal husbandry management procedures.
Article 8: On-site evaluations shall be conducted under the responsibility of an expert panel. The panel will consist of three or more individuals holding senior technical positions in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, with an odd number of members. The panel will carry out its assessment by reviewing reports, examining relevant documentation, evaluating breeding livestock, conducting technical staff evaluations, performing on-site inspections, and sampling livestock for testing. Based on these activities and in accordance with the on-site evaluation criteria for breeding farms, the panel will make a comprehensive judgment to determine whether the farm passes the on-site review.
Units or individuals applying for the first time to import breeding livestock and poultry from abroad and successfully obtaining a "License" must, after the imported animals have been integrated into normal production and breeding activities, undergo an on-site expert review organized by the administrative approval authority. If the review reveals that the facility fails to meet the on-site evaluation standards for breeding farms, the administrative licensing decision shall be revoked.
Chapter 5: Licensing and Permit Issuance, along with Supervision and Inspection
Article 9: If the on-site assessment is satisfactory, the administrative approval authority will issue the "License" and simultaneously register it in the Seed and Livestock Management Production and Operation License Filing System administered by the State Council's agricultural and rural affairs department.
The list of livestock and poultry farms that have obtained the "License" will be published by the administrative approval authority at this level on the relevant official website, with a copy sent to the agricultural and rural administration authority at the same level.
Article 10: Agricultural and rural administrative departments at all levels shall conduct ongoing and post-event supervision, in accordance with the law, over entities or individuals holding a "License." If any inaccuracies are identified or if the requirements are not met, the department will order the entity to make rectifications within a specified timeframe. If the entity remains non-compliant even after the required improvements, the department will revoke the "License" as per the law, issue a public notification of the decision, and forward the outcome to the administrative approval authority at the same level.
Article 11: The format and numbering of the License comply with the regulations set forth by the agricultural and rural administration department under the State Council.
Chapter 6: Validity, Renewal, Amendment, and Reissuance of the License
Article 12: The license is valid for a period of 3 years. If an extension is required, an application must be submitted no later than 30 days before the license expires, following the procedures outlined in Article 7 of these Regulations. For those whose licenses to produce livestock genetic materials have expired but who continue to engage in such production activities, the provisions of the "Measures for Licensing the Production of Livestock Genetic Materials" shall apply. Failure to renew the license within the prescribed timeframe will be treated as unauthorized production and operation.
Article 13: If a livestock and poultry farm falls under any of the following circumstances, the applicant must submit relevant supporting documents to the original issuing authority to apply for amendment procedures and return the original license:
(1) Changes in the organization's name;
(II) Changes in the legal representative or head of the organization.
After the procedure is changed, the administrative approval authority should immediately update and enter the information into the registration system for breeding livestock and poultry management production and operation licenses maintained by the State Council’s agricultural and rural affairs administrative department.
Article 14: If a livestock and poultry farm falls under any of the following circumstances, the licensee shall return the original License and reapply for a new License in accordance with the licensing procedures and administrative authority:
(1) Changes in production or business scope;
(II) When the production and business premises change.
Article 15: If any of the following situations occur during the validity period of the License, the licensee shall apply to the original issuing authority for a replacement license, submitting an explanation of the circumstances. The newly issued license must match the content of the original License exactly.
(1) The license is damaged and no longer usable;
(II) The license has been lost.
Chapter 7: Supplementary Provisions
Article 16: On-site evaluation criteria for breeding livestock and poultry farms shall be formulated by agricultural and rural administrative departments at all levels.
Article 17: The review and issuance of licenses for queen bees, silkworms, and the 16 special livestock species listed in the "National Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources" shall be carried out in accordance with these Measures.
Article 18: These Measures shall come into effect as of the date of their issuance.
Source: Hebei Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
