The northern agricultural province Hebei has abolished the registration obligation of all fertilizers from July 1 2013. All subject fertilizer products are freely circulated in the market as long as their producers obtain necessary license and the product meets the quality standard, which would reduce the burden on the shoulder of fertilizer producers and boost the agricultural supplies within the province.
The “Measures for the Administration of Fertilizer Registration” was implemented in 2000, which stipulated that unregistered fertilizers are not allowed to be imported, produced, sold, market promoted and utilized in China. The Ministry of Agricultural is responsible for the registration, supervision of fertilizer products nationwide and the competent authorities of agricultural administration at provincial level are responsible for assisting MoA’s registration management on fertilizer products. Hebei’s abolishment was in response to Chinese State Council’s campaign of decentralization and cessation of certain administrative approval procedures for some manufacturing sectors.
There are certain categories of fertilizers exempted from these Measures, which include, ammonium sulfate, urea, ammonium nitrate, calcium carbimide, ammonium phosphate (mono-ammonium phosphate, di-ammonium phosphate), nitro-phosphate, calcium superphosphate, potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate, ammonium chloride, ammonium bicarbonate, calcium magnesium phosphate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, single micronutrient fertilizer and high-concentration compound fertilizer. The compound fertilizer, formulated fertilizer (foliage fertilizer), refined organic fertilizer and soil conditioner are registered with the competent authorities at the provincial level.
China’s registration management on fertilizer was to strengthen the quality assurance of the agricultural input. However it was debated to be burdening the fertilizer producers as they are subject to multiple controls from various authorities. Apart from the registration approved by the MoA, the producers are required to obtain the business license from the Administration for Industry and Commerce, the production license from the authorities of industrial administration. Besides, they have to guarantee the product quality to meet the national or industrial quality standard, otherwise, they will be investigated or punished by the quality supervision departments.
Although certain governmental functions are ceased or decentralized to increase the overall efficiency, China is accelerating the establishment of quality control throughout agricultural chains. After the implementation in 2011 of four compulsory fertilizer standards, the “NY1107-2010 Water-soluble fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium”, the “NY1428-2010 Water-soluble fertilizers containing micronutrients”, the “NY1429-2010 Water-soluble fertilizers containing amino-acids” and the “NY1106-2010 Water-soluble fertilizers containing humic-acids”, an “overarching” water-soluble standard was implemented on June 1 2013.
