Remarkable achievements in regulation over marketing high-toxic pesticides in China
National Meeting on Regulation over Pesticides Marketing • Meeting on Marketing High-toxic Pesticides at Designated Stores were held in Guiyang City of Guizhou on Nov. 19, 2012.
The Meetings reviewed the regulation over pesticides marketing and marketing high-toxic pesticides at designated stores over the past year, summarized good practices and achievements, and made arrangements for the future work.
Centering on "Two Economic & Two Safety' Goals (more than 500 million tons in
grain output and more than 7% in growth of farmers' income; no major epizootics and no major quality & safety issues for farm produce), agricultural departments at all levels have taken diversified measures to improve pesticides marketing order. These measures include highlighting the priorities for regulation, innovative mechanism, combining guiding and crackdown, dovetailing inspection, quality testing with case investigation, and market inspection system.
In 2012, a total of 4909 samples and 5038 labels of pesticides for
crops, vegetables,
fruit and tea trees were tested or inspected by random sampling, 88.4% pesticides and 83.0% labels up to the standard respectively, and up by 1.5% and 1.6% over last year respectively.
Over the past three quarters of this year, China has investigated and prosecuted 7929 cases regarding to counterfeit and substandard pesticides, involving a total sum of 79.69 million yuan, which avoided the potential to cost farmers economic loss of nearly RMB250 million.
Breakthrough has been made in authorized marketing of high-toxic pesticides. The number of provinces on trial for this policy increased from 25 in 2011 to 26 in 2012; the coverage for prefectures (prefecture-level Cities) and Counties expanded from 99 to 158, and from 806 to 1027 respectively during the same period. Currently, all counties specializing in vegetable production within the provinces on trial are incorporated into scheme basically. Four provinces (Municipality) as Beijing, Shandong, Hunan and Shaanxi have adopted the universal policy of marketing high-toxic pesticides at designated stores province wide.
Provinces explored and blazed a trail in new patterns for regulation over pesticides marketing. At the meeting, participants exchanged practices from different provinces, the following are some highlights:
1. Jiangxi Province established the mechanism of township-level pesticide supervisor. The supervisor is responsible for regular inspection over pesticides marketing within jurisdiction, correcting breaches timely and coordination in disputes-settlement of pesticides marketing.
2. Shaoxing City of Zhejiang Province established a "Network Platform on Real-time Regulation over Marketing of Agricultural Inputs". Bar code is introduced into marketing system for 58 designated stores, making the marketing of pesticides traceable.
3. Shandong Province established a system of "Industry Access Ban" for serious breaches in pesticides manufacture and marketing. Pesticides marketing registration system and the measure of combining on-spot inspection and online registration were rolled out province wide.
4. Hunan implemented the blacklist system, which makes the violations public and under which pharmaceuticals and distributors involved with counterfeit and substandard pesticides are under intensified tracking and supervision. Experience-sharing at the meetings will provide helpful references for future work in pesticides regulation.
An official from MOA Department of Crop Production stated at the meeting that competent agricultural authorities at all levels shall analyze the new situation faced by pesticides administration and maintain a high sense of responsibility to people to truly put pesticides administration into effect. To this end, the following requirements are made:
1. To enhance regulation over pesticides quality and ensure safe production.
2. To earnestly carry out the special campaign on regulation over high-toxic pesticides to ensure
food safety.
3. To enhance management of pesticides marketing.
4. To establish and perfect emergency management mechanism for safe application of pesticides.
5. To strengthen system development of laws and regulations, the development of law-enforcement team, and to increase law-enforcement level and efficiency.
(Source: MOA Department of Crop Production)