Practices and Reflections on the Development of a New-Style Pesticide Management System

Following the implementation of the 2017 revised Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides, agricultural and rural authorities have assumed a host of new pesticide‑management responsibilities, including coordinating industry development and administering production licensing. Consequently, the management system, mechanisms, and approaches are undergoing a profound transformation to accommodate end-to-end, full‑chain oversight. Experience has demonstrated that establishing and refining a new pesticide‑management framework—centered on administrative regulation, underpinned by public services, and supplemented by socialized services—is an essential prerequisite for achieving comprehensive, lifecycle‑wide management and an inevitable choice for meeting the new requirements of the Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides.

01

Background of the Construction of the Pesticide Management System

1.1 Agricultural Production and the Pesticide Industry

Hebei is both a major agricultural province and a leading producer and user of pesticides. With nearly 100 million mu of cultivated land, the area affected by major crop diseases and pests exceeds 500 million mu‑times annually, posing a significant threat to agricultural production. Taking grain production in 2022 as an example, of the total annual output of 38.65 million tons, approximately 7 million tons can be attributed to the contribution of pesticides; thus, the reliable supply and prudent application of pesticides play a crucial role in agricultural production. The province is home to 139 pesticide‑manufacturing enterprises, with 2,787 registered pesticide products and an annual output exceeding 200,000 tons, placing its industry among the largest in the country. There are also more than 19,000 pesticide‑distribution entities, and annual pesticide usage approaches 40,000 tons. Demand for pesticides in agricultural production has remained persistently high, yet the sector faces pronounced challenges: it is large in scale but relatively weak, suffers from overcapacity and outdated product lines, and grapples with recurring issues of fragmentation, small‑scale operations, and disorderly practices in the distribution network. Meanwhile, the improper use of pesticides and the difficulties in managing the recycling of packaging waste have given rise to increasingly complex safety and environmental concerns. Consequently, the tasks of regulating pesticide registration, production, distribution, and application are particularly demanding.

1.2 Pesticide Regulatory Agency

The division of responsibilities for pesticide management and service functions among provincial- and city-level administrative departments and technical support agencies, as well as the number of county-level pesticide management departments and technical support units, are presented in Table 1.

Table 1: Division of Functions Between Pesticide Management Authorities and Technical Support Institutions in Hebei Province

1.3 Pesticide Management Personnel

With the exception of pesticide‑related administrative approval functions, which are handled by local administrative approval authorities at all levels, the provincial agricultural and rural affairs departments employ 355 personnel engaged in pesticide administration and enforcement, along with 773 staff members in public service and technical support institutions. Among these pesticide management and technical support personnel, those under 35 account for 18%, while those aged 50 or older comprise 29%; 64% hold a college degree or higher, 25% specialize in pesticides or plant protection, 6% have backgrounds in law or management, and 27% possess professional titles at the associate senior level or above. In Langfang, Hengshui, and parts of Baoding, certain agricultural comprehensive law‑enforcement officers are subject to public‑service‑agency‑managed status.

02

Problems in the pesticide management system

2.1 Insufficient understanding of pesticide management

On the supply side, pesticide production capacity has long been ample, and agricultural production has not experienced any shortages in recent years. As a result, the disaster‑relief function of pesticides and the importance of pesticide management have to some extent been overlooked. Although the new Regulations on Pesticide Administration have redefined regulatory responsibilities, many local authorities have yet to shift their understanding and role from “managing approvals” to “governing the industry,” failing to elevate their approach to comprehensive, end-to-end, full‑process management across the entire sector.

2.2 The management system is not fully aligned with the new regulatory requirements.

In recent years, during institutional reforms, some localities have failed to treat pesticide management as a new, systematic undertaking, resulting in misalignment between organizational structures, departmental divisions of labor, and the requirements for end-to-end, full-chain systemic management. In certain areas, an excessive number of specialized units have been established, with functions overly fragmented, leading to a resurgence of “multi‑headed management” within agricultural and rural affairs departments. In other cases, departmental responsibilities are not adequately aligned with their mandated functions, and the workload assigned exceeds the capacity of these departments to fulfill their duties. As a result, the management system remains fragmented and incomplete, operating in a manner that is neither smooth nor stable, with numerous latent governance gaps and service blind spots, thereby undermining both the efficiency and effectiveness of pesticide regulation.

2.3 Technical Support and Management Capabilities Do Not Align with Job Responsibilities

Pesticide management and technical support encompass a wide range of fields, including economics, management, law, chemical engineering, manufacturing, environmental science, and plant protection. At present, most managerial personnel come from traditional agricultural production backgrounds, resulting in gaps between their knowledge profiles, managerial experience, and job‑performance capabilities and the demands of new pesticide‑management responsibilities and public‑service tasks. At the municipal and county levels, there is a widespread shortage of pesticide‑testing and risk‑monitoring equipment and facilities, as well as of the requisite technical expertise.

03

Countermeasures for Establishing a New Pesticide Management System

3.1 Composition of the New Pesticide Management System

3.1.1 Pesticide Administrative Authorities

The administrative authority for pesticides is the core component of the new system, comprising the agricultural and rural administrative departments at the provincial, municipal, and county levels, and primarily responsible for pesticide industry management, administrative approval, and law enforcement and regulatory oversight.

3.1.2 Pesticide Public Service Agency

Pesticide public service institutions serve as the backbone of the new system, comprising directly affiliated agencies under the provincial, municipal, and county agricultural and rural affairs departments. They undertake functions such as pesticide technical review, risk monitoring, inspection and testing, standard setting, technical guidance, and survey and statistical analysis, thereby providing technical support for pesticide administrative licensing, market supervision, and industrial development.

3.1.3 Pesticide Socialized Service Units

Pesticide social service entities serve as a complement to the new system, comprising pesticide industry associations, third-party inspection and testing institutions accredited by agricultural and rural affairs authorities, pesticide registration trial units, research institutes engaged in pesticide R&D and demonstration‑based promotion, and plant protection service organizations, thereby providing essential support for pesticide management.

3.2 Construction Principles

3.2.1 Clearly define positioning and implement rational layout

In accordance with the new requirements for full-chain, end-to-end management, and with a focus on supporting the sustainable development of the agrochemical industry and the green, high-quality development of agriculture, differentiated roles should be defined at each level of governance, and administrative agencies and public service institutions for agrochemicals should be established in a scientifically sound and rational manner.

3.2.2 Improving the System and Clarifying Responsibilities

Streamline the institutional mechanisms for pesticide management and clearly delineate the responsibilities of administrative authorities and technical support agencies within the system. Establish a new framework that places administrative oversight at its core, underpinned by public services, and supplemented by market‑based services.

3.2.3 Effective regulation and robust support

Enhance the efficiency of system operations. Strengthen the administrative departments’ management responsibilities to improve managerial effectiveness and outcomes; bolster the technical support capabilities of public service institutions and socialized service providers, thereby providing the necessary safeguards for the implementation of effective governance.

3.3 Construction Objectives

3.3.1 Provincial Level

Emphasizing comprehensiveness, authority, and guidance. The agriculture and rural affairs authorities have established a dedicated department responsible for pesticide management, which internally coordinates industry development, administrative approvals, law enforcement and regulatory oversight, and public services, while externally liaising with relevant functional departments such as those in charge of development and reform, safety, and environmental protection. Functions involving highly specialized or technically demanding tasks—such as administrative penalties, risk monitoring, inspection and testing, and technical guidance—are either established as separate units or consolidated under the appropriate agencies.

3.3.2 At the City and County Level

Emphasizing execution and targeted approaches, the agricultural and rural affairs departments have established separate administrative divisions and service agencies based on their two core functions—administrative management and technical support—while ensuring vertical alignment and avoiding overlapping responsibilities and fragmented governance. In cities with well-developed pesticide industries, such as Shijiazhuang, Cangzhou, Handan, Xingtai, Baoding, and Hengshui, the focus is on overseeing pesticide production; in the major grain-producing regions of central and southern Hebei, the emphasis is on market supervision and technical guidance; and in areas characterized by specialized agricultural industry clusters, the priority is on monitoring pesticide-related safety risks.

3.3.3 Socialized Services

Emphasize professionalism and complementarity. Building on the provincial regional pesticide risk monitoring center, establish a consortium for socialized pesticide services. Integrate pesticide industry associations, third-party testing agencies, and registration‑trial institutions; collaborate with Hebei Agricultural University and the Plant Protection Institute of the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences; and draw on the research capabilities of pesticide manufacturers and key plant protection service organizations to provide technical support across R&D and trials, quality sampling, risk monitoring, and promotion and application.

3.4 Key Tasks

3.4.1 Strengthening Macro Management

Emphasize industry planning and institutional development. Based on the province’s needs for national economic and social development, and in alignment with national industrial policies and the current state of the pesticide industry, formulate medium- to long-term development plans for the provincial pesticide sector, guiding the industry toward green, high-quality growth and fostering a healthy pesticide market. Develop a series of supporting regulations, including the “Measures for Monitoring Pesticide Safety Risks,” the “Administrative Measures for Surveying and Statistically Reporting Pesticide‑Related Information,” the “Administrative Measures for Prescription‑Based Pesticide Sales,” and the “List of Responsibilities for Pesticide Producers and Operators,” thereby strengthening the accountability of market entities and promoting the standardized operation of the entire pesticide industry.

3.4.2 Strengthen Policy Support

Integrate policies supporting the development of the agrochemical industry into the broader “agricultural sector,” emphasize its disaster‑relief function, strengthen industrial support, and ensure seamless inter‑agency policy coordination to prevent policy gaps. Establish a special fund for the research and development of innovative, high‑quality agrochemicals, increase government fiscal investment, and prioritize R&D and production of advanced products such as highly efficient, low‑toxicity, low‑residue formulations, biopesticides, and nano‑agrochemicals. Enhance support for the application stage of agrochemicals and encourage the widespread adoption of cutting‑edge application equipment and complementary technologies.

3.4.3 Emphasizing the Effectiveness of Approvals

Strengthen the “facilitative” role of pesticide production licensing to enhance industry concentration and enterprise competitiveness. Rigorously oversee the initial registration review, leverage the guiding function of registration and licensing, and accelerate the renewal and upgrading of pesticide products. Strictly enforce business access requirements, strengthen the examination and oversight of operating licenses, refine the planning and layout for the sale of restricted‑use pesticides, further purify the pesticide market, and vigorously promote prescription‑based sales and real‑name registration for purchases at retail outlets, thereby shifting the checkpoint for the safe and rational use of pesticides upstream to the distribution stage.

3.4.4 Strengthening Technical Support

Establish provincial-level expert teams integrating industry, academia, research, and application in the pesticide sector; enhance the allocation of risk‑monitoring and testing equipment at the city and county levels; and strengthen public‑service capacity for pesticide management. Cities such as Shijiazhuang, Handan, Cangzhou, and Hengshui, as well as major grain‑producing areas and clusters of specialized industries, should set up regional pesticide testing and inspection laboratories to ensure rapid response to pesticide‑safety incidents and enable effective risk tracking and traceability. By coordinating and leveraging the technical resources of testing and inspection facilities, registration‑trial institutions, research institutes, and social organizations, we will create an effective complementary support system for pesticide‑management technologies.

3.4.5 Promoting Online Services

Develop a comprehensive, digitally integrated pesticide management service platform that ensures seamless vertical connectivity and horizontal interoperability, enabling “one‑stop access” to management and services across provincial, municipal, and county agricultural and rural affairs departments. The platform’s modules cover all key aspects of pesticide management and public services, linking upward to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs’ digital pesticide platform and horizontally connecting relevant government agencies, enterprises, institutions, and organizations. Through this platform, it delivers end‑to‑end administrative licensing, market supervision, product traceability, risk early warning, technical guidance, credit management, and other comprehensive functions, thereby significantly enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of pesticide management and related services.

3.4.6 Enhancing Personnel Competence

Provincial-level agricultural and rural departments, as well as those in areas with concentrated pesticide industries, should increase staffing with experts in economic management, law, and chemical engineering. All levels should intensify the cultivation of multidisciplinary professionals capable of supporting pesticide regulation and technical expertise. Provincial pesticide regulatory agencies should strengthen training in industrial economics, legal frameworks, and international trade to enhance their capacity to lead and drive industry development. At the city and county levels, training in administrative law enforcement, inspection and testing, and risk monitoring should be expanded to bolster capabilities in market oversight and risk prevention and control.

Source: Pesticide Science and Management, Issue 6, 2023

Authors: Hebei Provincial Pesticide Inspection and Monitoring Station — Kan Qingsong, Liu Shaojun, Xie Huan, Sun Xin suo, Xu Hao, Gao Jun, Tang Tianqi, Zhang Nan∗

Original Title: Practices and Reflections on Building a New-Type Pesticide Management System in Hebei Province