Crackdown on fertiliser traders

May 30th at 11:29

30-05-2013 11:29:57+07:00

Fertiliser producers and traders have to meet more requirements to be eligible to stay in business.

This is part of a new decree on managing the fertiliser market drafted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. It is scheduled to be submitted to the Government next month for approval.

Accordingly, fertiliser producers will have to meet requirements covering locations, workshop area, equipment, technology, and laboratory areas.

Managers at fertiliser producing units must have completed at least tertiary level in chemistry or agriculture.

Fertiliser traders will also be required to use proper facilities. And business owners and sellers will need to undergo training course in these subjects.

"The proposal is expected to reject producers with poor quality products," said Nguyen Thi Kim Lien, vice head of the ministry's Chemistry Department at a workshop on fertiliser market management on Monday.

Lien said that the production of fake or low quality fertiliser was at alarming levels, mostly because everyone could make and sell fertiliser.

Poor quality fertiliser with less than 20 per cent of the required nutrition were found more and more in the market. They caused huge damage to crops and thus a loss to farmers, she said.

At present, the cost of fertiliser and plant protection chemicals account for half of rice production costs. According to statistics, there are more than 500 fertiliser producers and about 30,000 fertiliser traders across the country.

About 5,000 types of fertiliser are allowed to be made, traded and used on domestic market. Now, authorities are refining the list to manage the market.

An official from the department, Truong Hop Tac, said that lack of staff, facilities and overlapping management among agencies resulted in poor management.

Lien agreed with Tac that the Ministry of Industry and Trade should be responsible for managing non-organic fertliser while the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should be responsible for managing organic fertiliser and others.

Vice head of the Market Watch Department Do Thanh Lam said that higher fines for violators were also needed. In the first quarter of this year, the department examined 215 cases, cracked down on 82 violators, collected fines worth VND2.47 billion (US$117,600) and destroyed substandard goods worth VND253.2 million ($12,000).

vietnamnews