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Stricter measures proposed as dubious quality fertilizers surge
Experts on Friday proposed even stricter measures against violations in producing and trading of fertilizer while discussing a draft decree on the issue.
Phan Huy Thong, deputy head of the Plant Cultivation Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said current punishments have failed to deter violators.
“Producers have paid the fines and continued producing low quality products and it is not feasible to tell them to improve the quality of the illegal batches,” he said.
A representative of Ca Mau Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed that the decree requires violators to pay fees for destruction of their products.
“Concerned agencies have spent much money in storing and destroying seized goods,” he said, adding that such costs were estimated at between VND50 million (US$2,970) and VND100 million ($5,940) per ton of fertilizer.
Nguyen Van Duc, chief inspector of Vinh Long Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, proposed more detailed regulations on inspection of fertilizer production and trading.
The agency reported 110 of 270 samples of fertilizers taken from southern provinces in the first half of the year contained ingredients in lower quantities than indicated on their labels.
Inspectors also found 40.7 percent of fertilizers containing nutrients at much lower levels than stated on the labels.
Fertilizer samples with violations were highest in An Giang at more than 63 percent, followed by the provinces of Long An, Tien Giang and Vinh Long.
Among the violating products was the “Super lan 10” produced by the Kieu My enterprise in Tra Vinh Province, which had only 0.32 percent of the nutritious elements indicated on its label.
The Plant Cultivation Bureau said it would direct inspections in the field even before the new document is approved by the central government. More officials and equipment will be deployed to conduct more frequent inspections and tests of fertilizer samples being sold, the agency said.
Producers will also face stricter surveillance with each batch of fertilizer tested before it is sold in the market.
The agency also said it would propose stricter conditions for issuing licenses to fertilizer producers.
The draft decree has proposed much higher fines for trading in dubious quality fertilizers.
Producers will be fined a sum equal to the value of the product for violations involving goods valued at less than VND100 million ($5,940).
The draft decree proposes fines that are between two to three times the product value for goods valued at between VND100 million and VND500 million ($29,250), and between four to five times for products valued at more than VND500 million.
Current regulations stipulate fines based on a decree in product measurement and quality, which stipulates fines between VND2 million ($117) and VND4 million ($234) for such violations.
According to the draft document, fines for trading in fake fertilizers will range between VND2 million and VND100 million.
Other measures proposed include the revocation of a business license and destroying all products found in violation.
Quang Thuan
thanhnien
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