Rep o rt of th e tw en - Rotterdam Convention

Information technology such as Global Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System
(GPS) has been explored and applied in locust control. In wheat, bio-diversity strategies were used
in reducing the over-summer areas of wheat stripe rust pathogens, and seed treatments with fungicides
were extended on a large scale to reduce disease inoculum of the next season. In rice, IPM technology
was applied to over 1.5 million hectares in 2003 and 1.67 million hectares in 2004 for the control of
rice stem borers. Bio-diversity strategies were implemented on 6.67 million hectares for rice blast
management. In cotton, the transgenic Bt cotton adapted IPM technology was extended to 1.3 million
hectares in 2004. In corn, biological technologies such as the use of Beauveria bassiana for killing
over-winter larvae of corn borer, and the release of Trichogramma spp. in fields have been extended
to more than 2 million hectares since 2003. The introduction of the FAO-supported IPM programmes
has resulted in shifts in China towards a farmer-centered approach through FFS.
Several governmental agencies in China co-act as NPPO; including the MOA, State Forestry
Administration and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. A
work plan was developed by the MOA to adapt relevant ISPMs and RSPMs to national standards,
and relevant proposals have been approved by the State Standard Committee. According to the
requirements of the ISPMs, experts were invited to conduct PRAs for revising the regulated pest
list since 2002. The regulated pest list was drafted and will be further evaluated. The national
phytosanitary information website is under construction. NATESC provided training to senior plant
quarantine specialists. Three isolation and quarantine nurseries located in Beijing, Guandong and
Sichuan were built by the Ministry of Agriculture to detect and prevent the invasion of new quarantine
pests. A pilot project on the establishment of pest free areas in apple cultivation strictly conforming
to the ISPMs is being implemented in Gansu, Shannxi and Shandong.
The Regulation on Pesticide Administration was issued as Principal Law in China on
8 May 1997 by the State Council. The Regulation was revised to meet the requirements of WTO
in 2003. At present, there are all kinds of formulation standards of pesticide products. Sixty-six
national standards have been developed in China, including 175 industry standards and 10 000
enterprise product quality standards. Until now, 800 pesticide factories with 19 000 products were
registered, and among them about 900 were imported products. About 1 000 pesticide products
were registered annually in 2003 and 2004. China signed the final text of Rotterdam Convention
(PIC) in October 1998 and started the ratification procedure in 2003. It was officially approved by
the National People’s Congress (NPC) in December 2004 and submitted to the headquarters of the
United Nations on 22 March 2005. It became effective 90 days after submission according to UN
regulations, and China became a formal signatory State on 20 June 2005. In order to ensure safe
grain production and public health, China embarked on the replacement of highly toxic pesticides
like Methamidophos, Parathion, Parathion-methyl, Monocrotophos and Phosphamidon during
2005-2007. All of them will be banned on 1 st January 2007. Great efforts have been taken in the
development of bio-pesticides for the replacement of highly toxic chemical pesticides as well. Over
100 types of bio-pesticides including 2 animal-sourced pesticides, 28 botanical pesticides, 16 microbial
pesticides, and 50 antibiotic pesticides were registered. Annual production of bio-pesticides has
increased to about 100 000 tons.
The MOA launched a specific programme to promote the reduction of pesticide usage in
2004. The programme focused on the training of farmers and field demonstrations of IPM technology
to reduce pesticide applications. A monitoring network of pest resistance to pesticides has been set
up, and resistances of major crop pests such as cotton bollworm, rice stem borer, cabbage diamond
back moth, and citrus red spider mite were being screened by the 50 regional stations. Results of
pest resistance monitoring were released regularly at an interval of two years to provide guidance
for crop pest management. A national programme on resistance management of rice stem borer
commenced since 2003. Nationwide farmer training on safe use of pesticides was organized by
NATESC in cooperation with the CropLife China (a non government organization).
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