Last month, China NATESC (National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center) reported the pest resistance monitoring results of 2017. 60 sites in 19 provincial areas were investigated, covering 21 patent or off-patent pesticides including chlorantraniliprole, penoxsulam, quinclorac, dinotefuran, bensulfuron, bispyribac and clodinafop-propargyl etc. The center pointed out that the main pests and diseases in food crops have developed significant resistance to the most commonly used pesticides and there is an urgent need of integrated and rotational measures and development of better system to monitor risk and assessment of pest resistance.

On 24 and 25 Apr 2018, an official training course on developing national pesticide MRL standard was held in Jiangsu. The event was organized by MoARR and was attended by ICAMA’s head agronomist Ms. Ji Ying. Ms. Ji revealed that the new version of GB2763 will be published this year and that a technical guidance on MRL establishment targeting imported agricultural products would also be drafted.

On 16 Apr 2018，Shandong ICA (Institute for the Control of Agrochemical, the provincial unit of ICAMA) opened a 45-day investigation on butachlor production and usage nationwide. In 2016, MoA initiated the revaluation on butachlor and 7 other active ingredients and an internal probe was opened to assess the provincial department. The national survey was organized by Shandong ICA under the delegation from the MoA/MoARR. Domestic butachlor producers are required to fill and submit 3 questionnaires by 31 May 2018.

On 1 Jul 2018, China will implement 12 new national standards for market surveillance of fertilizer products, including 6 product standards, 4 quality inspection methods and 2 classification criteria for humic fertilizers, compounded fertilizers, urea, calcium superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, liquid ammonia, fulvic acids for agricultural use and stabilized fertilizers (synergized fertilizers).

On 17 Apr 2018, The Toxic and Chemical Substance Bureau under Taiwan Environmental Agency released their annual monitoring report of environmental agents. In 2017, 40,720 advertisements, labels and products were inspected and the qualification rate was 99%. One notable violation prompted Taiwan’s EPA to issue a public warning against mosquito repellents imported from Japan.

On the last days of February ICAMA released its latest pesticide risk assessment model COPrisk. Six models have been released to date, including the Repellents Risk Assessment Model, Repellents, Aerosols, CML model, TOP-Rice, China-PEARL. The models mentioned above, along with COPrisk offer guidance and assistance to companies preparing their risk assessment report for the purpose of complying with China pesticide registration data requirements.

On 9 Apr 2018, the Korean Ministry of Environment (MOE) opened a10-day investigation on biocidal substances used in biocidal products. Korean manufacturers and importers of biocidal products at and above medium-size are requested to fill and submit a questionnaire by 18 April. This move is will serve as a foundation for implementation of the pre-approval system introduced by “Law 15511-Act on the safety Management of Household Chemical Products and Biocides” which begins on the 1st of Jan 2019.

On 30 Mar 2018, Korea officially enacted the “Law 15511-Act on the Safety Management of Household Chemical Products and Biocides (K-BPR)”, which will take effect on 1st Jan 2019. The regulation majorly governs the labeling, approval, authorization and post-management of household chemical products, biocidal products and biocide-treated articles.

By the end of 2017, 37888 pesticides registered by 2213 companies were within their validity, of which 3913 pesticides of 1216 companies were newly approved in the past several years. China promulgated a new pesticide regulation and revoked temporary registration. Applications which were being processed at the time of promulgation of the new regulation are still being reviewed and approved based on requirements of the previous regulation: 3365 were full registration for field use, 385 were temporary registration for field use, 153 were full registration for hygienic pesticide and 10 were temporary registration for hygienic pesticide.