Recently,
the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has made a response to the proposal
regarding the local standards for banned or restricted pesticides that has been
put forward in the Second Session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC).
According to the response, great importance is attached to the elimination of highly
toxic pesticides and the management and application of pesticides with low
toxicity and low risks.
Apart from
some practical measures, the MOA highly emphasizes that the following ten
highly toxic pesticides will be withdrawn from the Chinese market by stages and
in groups within five years: Aldicarb, Ethoprophos, Isocarbophos, Phorate, Isofenphos-methyl, Carbonfuran,
Omethoate, Methomyl, Aluminum phosphide and Chloropicrin.
MOA has been making efforts to control highly
toxic pesticides in the markets since 2002
Based on
the risk assessment, the MOA has banned and restricted 67 highly toxic pesticides
since 2002, among which 45 pesticides have been banned and 22 have been strictly
restricted.
In 2017, a
list of restricted pesticides was issued in order to control the operation
scopes of highly toxic pesticides. What’s more, measures regarding counter
sales, real-name purchase and traceability management have been also taken, so
that the complete process from production, circulation to utilization can be
under supervision. Meanwhile, selling
highly toxic pesticides online has been forbidden. Besides, application of
highly toxic pesticides has been excluded from the production of vegetables and
tea.
In
addition, enterprises and scientific research institutions have been encouraged
to research and develop as well as register pesticides with low toxicity, low
residue and high efficiency, so that highly toxic pesticides can be reduced
gradually.
In the
following stage, three more measures will be fully executed in order to
strengthen the process of eliminating highly toxic pesticides. First of all, a
time schedule of the elimination and relevant policies will come out after
experts have conducted a study on the impact that the 10 highly toxic
pesticides mentioned above have on agricultural production and business
operation. Secondly, enterprises are highly encouraged to introduce alternative
products to highly toxic pesticides. Simultaneously, new techniques and new
equipment will be encouraged to replace the production of highly toxic
pesticides. Last but not least, attention will be paid to popularization of how
to use pesticides in a safer way.
An overview of the 10 pesticides that face withdrawal
The ten
pesticides that will face an elimination out of the Chinese market in the next
5 years are regarded as highly toxic pesticides. Here is an overview of those.
Aldicarb is
a carbamate insecticide, acaricide and nematicide.
Ethoprophos
is a type of contact toxicity, which is also considered as an organophosphorus
nematicide.
Isocarbophos
is a board-spectrum insecticide and acaricide that have functions of contact
poisoning and stomach poisoning. Besides, an ovicidal trait can be also found
in this pesticide.
Phorate is
a dithiophosphates systemic insecticide and acaricide with the main traits of
stomach poisoning, contact poisoning and inhalation.
Isofenphos-methyl
is a soil insecticides to control soil insect pests.
Carbonfuran
is a board-spectrum carbamate insecticide and nematicide.
Omethoate is
board-spectrum insecticide and acaricide with an intensively systemic trait.
Besides, it has main functions of contact poisoning and stomach poisoning.
Methomyl is a systemic carbamate insecticide
with functions of contact poisoning, stomach poisoning and fumigation.
Aluminum
phosphide, also known as AlP, can release toxic gas (phosphine gas) once
encountering humid air or water. It can kill all kinds of storage pests just
with inhalation.
Chloropicrin
is an alert pesticide with high efficiency.
For more
information about China’s pesticides market, please have a look at our
resources at Pesticides.