The State Council has announced a decisive move to eliminate the use of highly toxic pesticides in agriculture, marking a significant step toward ensuring food safety. At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office yesterday, it was revealed that 16 existing production sites for highly toxic pesticides will be shut down immediately, regardless of whether their products are exported or sold domestically. This decision aims to completely remove these harmful chemicals from the market and prevent any potential contamination of agricultural products.
Gao Hongbin, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, emphasized that the government has already phased out 11 highly toxic pesticides registered under seven companies, while intensifying monitoring on others like methamidophos. Despite this progress, there are still 16 companies producing five types of highly toxic pesticides, primarily for export. Although the export volume is relatively small—around $20 million annually—the State Council has decided that all production must cease. Gao explained that even if these products are exported, they could eventually re-enter the domestic market through informal channels, which is why the ban applies universally.
To ensure a smooth transition, the Ministry of Agriculture has introduced 29 alternative pesticides and 43 corresponding technologies to replace the banned substances. These alternatives are designed to maintain agricultural productivity while significantly reducing health and environmental risks.
This initiative follows years of policy efforts. In December 2000, then-Vice Premier Wen Jiabao called for a restructuring of China’s pesticide industry to reduce the use of highly toxic chemicals. Over the following years, multiple government departments implemented measures to restrict the use of several dangerous pesticides, including methamidophos, parathion, methyl parathion, monocrotophos, and phosphorus amines. A complete ban on these five pesticides came into effect on January 1, 2007, with only limited export production allowed for some enterprises.
Since August this year, the country has launched a special campaign targeting high-toxicity pesticide issues in agricultural products. In just two months, local authorities have deployed over 318,000 law enforcement personnel, inspected more than 188,000 businesses and markets, and handled over 10,612 cases of illegal activities. A total of 5,259 cases were investigated, and 187 unlicensed enterprises were shut down. As a result, the quality and safety of agricultural products have seen notable improvements.
According to recent inspections conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture across 100 wholesale markets nationwide, the pass rate for pesticide residue testing in vegetables exceeded 94%. In major cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, the qualified rate for urban vegetable pesticides increased by over 2.5 percentage points compared to last year. This progress reflects the effectiveness of the ongoing regulatory efforts and the government’s commitment to safeguarding public health.
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