China: Production Banned For Five Pesticides
5 November 2007 An article in The China Daily stated that methamidophos as well as four other pesticides which have been banned for use in China since Jan. 1 will no longer be allowed to be manufactured in the country. Gao Hongbin, vice-minister of agriculture, made the announcement at a media briefing on the progress of China’s campaign on food safety and product quality.
Currently, 16 factories produce the pesticides, primarily for export. Ministry figures show that the export volume for the five pesticides is about US $20 million a year. Last year, 28,000 tons were shipped to 60 countries including Brazil, India, and Argentina.
Gao said the ministry is also considering drafting a regulation on the labeling of pesticides to make it clearer and easier to read.
The ministry also reported that it had revoked the licenses of seven enterprises for the production of banned pesticides and confiscated 479 tons of illegal pesticides during its clean-up campaign. The latest random check of 100 wholesale markets across the country indicated that 94% of vegetables, 99% of animal products, and 95% of aquatic products tested meet drug residue standards, all of which are higher than before the campaign.
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