“Zero growth” of pesticide industry laid the basic development tone of pesticide industry in 2015. In the year of 2015, the government has issued lots of policies to management the pesticide industry.
1. Zero growth
On Jan. 16th, the MOA launched “key work of crop farming in 2015”, which emphasized the key task is to achieve zero growth of the pesticide consumption by 2020. On Jan. 28, 2015, The Action Plan for Zero Growth in the Application of Pesticide and the Action Plan for Zero Growth in the Application of Fertilizer were reviewed and approved along with the Regulations on Crop Disease and Pest Control at the MOA executive meeting chaired by Minister Han Changfu.
2. Give up pesticide production qualification
To encourage pesticide manufactures to merger and reorganization, MITT released 21 pesticide manufacturers that are willed to give up their production qualifications.
3. New Environmental Protection Law
On January 1, 2015, China formally began implementing an updated Environmental Protection Law ("the China EPL"). Also, the Chinese environmental protection department launched "Environmental Protection consecutive daily fines Interim Measures", "Implementation of Environmental Protection seizure, detention Interim Measures," "Environmental restrictions on the production, regulation discontinued Interim Measures," and "Enterprises Interim Measures on Open Environmental Information unit" supporting documents for more action details. It means that the punishment methods would no more limited on economic fine, the law enforcement department even are empowered to seal up or shut down the offenders.
4. Announcement No. 2203
To strengthen the management of pesticide importation and exportation, General Administration of Customs issued Announcement No. 2203 to make some adjustment on Catalogue of the People's Republic of China for the Administration of the Import and Export of Pesticides.
5. Adjustment of export rebates rate
On Dec. 31st, the Ministry of Finance and State Administration of Taxation together issued No. (2014) 150 “Notice on Notice Concerning Adjustment of Export Tax Rebate Rates for Certain Products”. The notice adjusted the tax rebate rate of 481 kinds of pesticides.
6. Announcement No. 2186
MOA released the Announcement No. 2186 on “Formal Pesticide Registration Approval Specification”, ”New Pesticide Farm Testing Approval Specification”, “Formal Pesticide Registration Approval Standard” and ”New Pesticide Farm Testing Approval Standard”. The announcement regulated pesticide formal registration, new pesticide farm testing approval basis, approval process and content, and registration cost.
7. Service for manufacturers
ICAMA set open service for manufacturers on the last Thursday of every month. During that date, ICAMA would arrange specialist and registrar to discuss on specific topics in pesticide registration and product development face to face.
8. Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals (2015)
China State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) issued its revised Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals (2015) in March. The new Catalogue includes 2,828 entries covering more than 2,800 hazardous substances and some mixtures. The Catalogue came into force on 1 May 2015.
9. Approval of emulsifiable concentrates formulation pesticide production
It has been 5 years since MIIT stopped issuing any approval certification of emulsifiable concentrates formulation pesticide in 2009. However, in April of 2015, MIIT release the 4th batch of pesticide manufacturing approval certification approved 8 emulsifiable concentrates formulation pesticides’ production.
10. Food Safety Law 2015
On April 25, 2015, after two rounds of comment solicitation and revision in 2013 and 2014, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China passed the amended Food Safety Law (“Law”). The Law, which will enter into force on October 1, 2015, is considered the most stringent Food Safety Law ever passed in China. According to the new Law, the use of all highly toxic pesticides is banned in specified agricultural products like vegetables, fruit and tea leaves, traditional Chinese herbal medicines.
11. Environmental sanction
In May of 2015, Zhejiang Jinfanda Biochemical Co., Ltd., was fined 7.5 billion RMB by authority for improper treatment of polluted substance. The main responsible persons were sentenced to 1 year 4 months to 6 years. This is the largest punishment that the authority made to pesticide manufacturer due to environmental problems ever.
12. Microbial pesticide
Since different bacterial strain may show great difference in biological activity and safety, microbial pesticide management in the future would base on bacterial strain. According to principle of the third microbial pesticide temporary registration, new microbial pesticide registration application should be marked with bacterial strain code. It means that microbial pesticide of different bacterial strain code belongs to difference active substance.
13. Review Committee of Pesticide Registration
The 17th Plenary Meeting of the Eighth National Review Committee of Pesticide Registration was convened in Beijing on July 10, 2015. This meeting reviewed altogether 20 pesticide products (16 in the preliminary review, 4 in the final review), including 5 herbicides, 3 insecticides, 8 fungicides, 1 hygienic insecticide and 3 plant growth regulators, involving 37 products of 22 pesticide manufacturers. The committed suggested that, firstly, the pesticide products that can be used either on food crops or on ornamental flowers, lawns, non-croplands and forestry shall be firstly registered for the use on food crops and then for the use on other crops (except for pesticide products only applicable to this kind of crops or areas); or both are registered for the use on food crops and the use on ornamental flowers, lawns, non-croplands and forestry. Secondly, no more acceptance and approval of the application for the registration of flubendiamide for use on paddy rice (including the application for renewal registration) and suggested the revocation of the registration for its use on paddy rice. Thirdly, in order to practically implement relevant provisions of Food Safety Law, Agricultural Product Quality Security Law and Regulation on Pesticide Administration, the review committee suggested revoking the registration of methidathion, phorate, isofenphos-methyl and carbofuran for use on sugarcane; altering the range of use of methyl bromide and nitrochloroform to soil fumigation and revoking the use of methyl bromide and nitrochloroform for other purposes except for soil fumigation. Fourthly, to strengthening the paraquat replaced safe-formulaions registration management. The review committee agreed unanimously to revise the toxicity of paraquat as high toxicity based on the result of tests of paraquat through mouth, skin and inhalation.
14. Announcement No. 2289
In order to guarantee the quality and safety of agricultural products and eco-environmental security, methidathion on orange trees will be deregistered and the use of methidathion on orange trees will be banned. And the registered application scope and application method of methyl bromide and Chloropicrin will be changed to soil fumigation and other registrations of methyl bromide and Chloropicrin will be revoked except for vapour releasing product (VP). The use of methyl bromide and Chloropicrin should be directed by professional technicians.
15. Announcement No.2308
Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) issued “Announcement No.2308” on October 8 in 2015, which releases Chinese guideline for risk assessment of residues in food and setting MRLs in food. These two guidelines are the first two technical guideline documents for processing of evaluation of pesticides residues and establishment of MRLs which do not exist in accordance with New Food Safety Law that came into force on October 1 in 2015.
Overview of new pesticide management policy in 2015
