The State Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection
and Quarantine warned Chinese farmers and pesticide producers to
prepare for an upcoming EU ban on a range of agricultural
chemicals.
The administration announced on Friday that the EU would
formally forbid the sale of 320 kinds of agricultural chemicals in
its region from December 31. This will affect the export of more
than 60 types of agricultural chemicals made by China, including 13
types of insecticides, some bactericides and weed.
Agricultural experts pointed out that these kinds of chemicals
are widely used in growing various farm products around China, such
as apples, oranges, tomatoes, cucumbers and grain.
Lin Wei, an official with the administration said the EU ban
would not only influence the export of China's pesticides, but also
probably prevent the country's farm products from entering EU
markets, the China News Service reported on Friday.
China ranked second in the world in pesticide exports last year,
and many of the agricultural chemicals were sold to the EU.
Also, China last year exported more than 400,000 tons of
vegetables, fruits and grain to the EU, which earned the country
US$270 million.
Lin suggested China's pesticide producers and farmers make early
preparations to deal with the results of the ban in order to avoid
economic losses.
Zhuang Wuji, a researcher with the China Import and Export
Inspection Technology Research Center, said the current range of
agricultural chemicals produced by China can hardly meet the rising
international standards for food safety and environmental
protection.
He said the pesticides banned by the EU this time account for
more than half of the total number of kinds of pesticides produced
and used in China. He warned that the pesticides the country
produces are subject to standards of international trade and that
the export of farm products is subject to both current and possible
new technical trade barriers.
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(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2003)