Officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Answer Questions from Journalists on the Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Crop Pests and Diseases.

Release Date:

2020-04-08

　On March 26, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council signed State Council Order No. 725, promulgating the Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Crop Pests and Diseases, which will take effect on May 1, 2020. Recently, officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs answered questions from reporters regarding issues related to the Regulations.

　　Q: Could you briefly outline the background to the issuance of the Regulations?
　　Answer: The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the prevention and control of crop pests and diseases. In recent years, driven by climate change, shifts in farming practices, and an increasing multiple-cropping index, crop pests and diseases have become more frequent and widespread, with major outbreaks occurring from time to time. For example, in 2019, the fall armyworm invaded China, causing severe damage. Corn For certain crops, existing institutional frameworks and regulatory standards are no longer adequate to address the new circumstances and tasks confronting pest and disease control. There is an urgent need to enact legislation that clarifies responsibilities, standardizes control protocols and methods, promotes professional and environmentally friendly approaches, and strengthens accountability, thereby providing robust legal safeguards for pest and disease management.
　　Question: What are the primary responsibilities of people’s governments at all levels and their relevant departments, as well as agricultural producers and operators, in the prevention and control of crop diseases and pests?
　　Answer: The Regulations clearly stipulate the responsibilities of people’s governments at all levels and their relevant departments, as well as agricultural producers and operators, in preventing and controlling crop pests and diseases. First, it requires people’s governments at or above the county level to strengthen organizational leadership over the work of pest and disease control for crops. Second, it specifies that the agricultural and rural affairs authorities of people’s governments at or above the county level are responsible for the supervision and management of such control efforts, while other relevant departments shall perform related tasks in accordance with their respective duties. Third, it mandates that township people’s governments assist the competent departments of higher-level people’s governments in carrying out relevant control measures. Fourth, it requires agricultural producers and operators, as well as other relevant entities and individuals, to conduct pest and disease control within their production and business scope, promptly implement measures to prevent the spread of pests and diseases, and, in cases of severe outbreaks or epidemics, promptly report to the agricultural and rural affairs authority of the county-level people’s government where they are located.
　　Q: What provisions does the Regulation make to improve the monitoring and forecasting system for crop diseases and pests?
　　Answer: Monitoring and forecasting are the prerequisite and foundation for effectively preventing and controlling crop pests and diseases. The Regulations, drawing on practical experience, have refined the monitoring and forecasting system. First, they strengthen the construction and management of the monitoring network by stipulating that the agricultural and rural affairs authorities of people’s governments at or above the provincial level are responsible for formulating and implementing plans for building the monitoring network, while the agricultural and rural affairs authorities of people’s governments at or above the county level are tasked with enhancing oversight of the network. No organization or individual may encroach upon, damage, dismantle, or relocate monitoring facilities and equipment without authorization, nor may they otherwise interfere with the normal operation of such facilities and equipment. Second, the Regulations standardize the content of monitoring, focusing on the species, timing, geographic scope, and severity of pest and disease outbreaks, and provide that technical standards for monitoring shall be formulated by the agricultural and rural affairs authorities of people’s governments at or above the provincial level. Third, the Regulations regulate the reporting of monitoring information and the issuance of forecasts, requiring that monitoring data be reported promptly and that forecasts be issued by the agricultural and rural affairs authorities of people’s governments at or above the county level.
　　Question: What provisions does the Regulation make to improve the system for the prevention and control of crop diseases and pests?
　　Answer: The Regulations refine the measures for the prevention and control of crop pests and diseases. First, they stipulate that the agricultural and rural affairs authorities at or above the county level shall formulate prevention and control plans, organize monitoring and assessment of pesticide resistance in crop pests and diseases, and provide technical training, guidance, and services to agricultural producers. Second, a categorized approach to prevention and control is adopted: crop pests and diseases are classified into three categories based on their characteristics and the severity of their damage; specifically, when Category I pests and diseases occur severely, the agricultural and rural affairs authority under the State Council shall undertake comprehensive coordination and guidance of control efforts; and when Categories II and III pests and diseases occur severely, the agricultural and rural affairs authorities of the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government shall assume such responsibilities. Third, the release of information on disaster situations is standardized: information on crop pest and disease outbreaks shall be issued by the agricultural and rural affairs authorities at or above the county level in consultation with the emergency management departments of the same level of government.
　　Q: What requirements does the Regulation impose on emergency response to crop diseases and pests?
　　Answer: When outbreaks of crop diseases and pests occur, emergency response measures shall be implemented. The Regulations primarily address the following aspects: First, they clarify the responsibilities for developing emergency plans, stipulating that the agricultural and rural affairs department under the State Council shall establish an emergency response and handling mechanism and formulate emergency plans. People’s governments at or above the county level and their relevant departments shall also develop emergency plans, conduct emergency‑related training and drills, and stockpile necessary emergency supplies. Second, the Regulations provide that, upon the occurrence of a crop disease or pest outbreak, people’s governments at or above the county level shall immediately activate the emergency response and take measures such as delineating the scope and area of emergency control, organizing and dispatching emergency response teams, activating emergency reserve supplies, and coordinating emergency response operations. Third, the Regulations specify the obligation of relevant departments to cooperate, requiring public security, transportation, civil aviation, meteorological, and other departments under people’s governments at or above the county level to perform their respective duties in supporting emergency response efforts for crop diseases and pests.
　　Q: In recent years, market demand for specialized pest and disease control services has been steadily increasing. From which aspects does the Regulation strengthen its regulatory oversight?
　　Answer: With the migration of rural labor and the development of moderately scaled agricultural operations, the importance of specialized pest and disease control has become increasingly evident. Accordingly, the Regulations dedicate a separate chapter to its standardized management. The key provisions include: First, the State encourages and supports specialized pest and disease control service organizations through government procurement of services and other measures, and the agricultural and rural affairs authorities at or above the county level are required to provide them with technical training, guidance, and related services. Second, in view of the professional and technical nature of such services, the Regulations stipulate that specialized pest and disease control service organizations must possess qualified technical personnel, appropriate facilities and equipment, and sound management systems. Field workers must be able to accurately identify crop pests and diseases within their service areas and master the proper methods for… Pesticide Professional knowledge regarding the scope of application, methods of application, safety intervals, and field‑work safety precautions; proper use of pesticide‑application equipment and related protective supplies. Third, to ensure that pest‑control services are scientific and standardized, the Regulations stipulate that specialized pest‑and‑disease control service organizations shall comply with relevant national regulations. Pesticide Establish a system for the safe and rational use of equipment, maintain service records, and provide field workers with the necessary personal protective equipment.
　　Q: Why does the Regulation emphasize adherence to “green pest control”?
　　Answer: In order to implement the requirements set forth in the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on advancing green development, and to accelerate the transformation of agricultural development patterns while enhancing the efficient use of agricultural resources and the protection of the ecological environment, crop pest and disease control must prioritize the adoption of green prevention and control technologies and follow a path of green development. To this end, the Regulations stipulate that the state shall encourage and support scientific and technological innovation in crop pest and disease control, the commercialization of research findings, and their lawful promotion and application; it shall also promote the widespread use of information technology and biotechnology, and advance the intelligent, professional, and green management of crop pests and diseases. Furthermore, the Regulations encourage and support research institutions, relevant educational establishments, and other entities and individuals to conduct research on, and legally promote, green prevention and control technologies, and they also encourage specialized pest and disease control service organizations to employ such green technologies.