Sino-US Workshop Minor Use was held in Beijing on May 13th. The Workshop was attended by a number of officials and experts from Ministry of Agriculture and U.S
Environmental Protection Agency including DG of
ICAMA, Sui Pengfei, Director of Pesticide Division of Crop Production Department, Li Wenxing, Director of Division of Standards of Bureau of Quality and Safety Supervision for Agro-products, Dong Hongyan, Deputy Division Director, Fang Xiaohua, Director of EPA Office of Pesticide Programs Lois Rossi, EPA Minor Use Officer, Barbara Madden, and Associate Director of Interregional Research Project No.4 (IR-4) Dr. Daniel Kunkel. ICAMA Chief Agronomist Ji Ying chaired the Workshop.
During the Workshop, DG Sui stated that minor use, which has a direct impact on the production, safety and quality of fresh products like vegetables and fruits, is of vital importance to consumer health, and hence has become an issue of extensive interest in the world. Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues has put priorities on the establishment of maximum residue limits for minor use pesticides. China has a large variety of minor
crops. Since these crops usually are of high economic value, they are the primary engine of farmers'' income growth and vital to specialty agricultural production in many places. The absence of minor use pesticides programs in China has led to the shortage of pesticides registered for minor uses and misuse and abusive use of pesticides by farmers. This has not only affected the protection of minor crops, but also posed a great risk to the quality and safety of agri-products. DG Sui expressed his hope that through discussions of the Workshop, progress could be made to the establishment of effective mechanisms for setting MRLs for minor uses, registration of minor uses and
technical guidance on pesticide application.
Rossi said after 50 years of development, the U.S. has accumulated experiences in the establishment of MRLs of minor uses and pesticide registration for minor uses led by the government. She hoped that America''s experiences could help China to solve problems concerning minor use.
Dr. Daniel Kunkel introduced the background, operation mechanism and success stories of IR-4 and the important role of IR-4 in establishment of MRLs for minor uses and ensuring the supply, safety and quality of agri-products in the U.S. Babara Madden brief the participants about the laws and regulations related to minor use research program, the pesticide registration process and related requirements. During the meeting, the two sides conducted in-depth discussions on the budget, implementation, legal and policy requirements of collaborative programs of minor use, and put forward sound suggestions to solve problems concerning minor use in China.
(Source: Residue Assessment Division , ICAMA)