The draft of the National Pesticide Industry Development Plan (2021–2025) has been completed and will be widely circulated for public comment.

On September 7, according to an announcement posted on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the ministry stated in its reply today to Proposal No. 9325 submitted during the Third Session of the 13th National People’s Congress that the “National Plan for the Development of the Pesticide Industry (2021–2025)” has now been drafted. The plan analyzes the current foundations of the pesticide industry, the prevailing circumstances and requirements, as well as the challenges it faces, and sets out the overall guiding principles, objectives, key priorities, and supporting measures for development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. In the next phase, the ministry will solicit extensive input from relevant stakeholders, further refine and improve the document, and promptly issue and implement it.

The full text of the reply is as follows:

Reply to Proposal No. 9325 of the Third Session of the 13th National People’s Congress

Representatives Luo Jinren and three others:

We have received your “Proposal on Stabilizing the Development of the Pesticide Industry and Enhancing Its Role in Ensuring Food Security.” Following careful review by our Ministry, we hereby provide the following response.

I. On the Formulation of a Development Plan for the Pesticide Industry

Pesticides are a vital agricultural input, crucial to food security, the quality and safety of agricultural products, and environmental protection. Over more than six decades, China’s pesticide industry has grown from scratch to become a major player, evolving from a situation of supply shortages and heavy reliance on imports to its current status as the world’s largest producer and exporter, a transformation that began in 2005.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs attaches great importance to the development of the pesticide industry. Following the implementation of the newly revised Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides, it has formulated five accompanying regulations—namely, the Measures for the Administration of Pesticide Registration, the Measures for the Administration of Pesticide Production Licenses, and the Measures for the Administration of Pesticide Business Licenses—as well as six normative documents, thereby progressively bringing pesticide management onto a track of standardization and rule of law.

However, China’s pesticide industry lacks unified national planning and guidance, resulting in significant issues such as an irrational industrial layout, severe overcapacity, and the excessive use of pesticides. There is an urgent need to strengthen strategic planning, coordinate resources from all stakeholders, promote industrial transformation and upgrading, and elevate the sector’s green and high-quality development.

In response, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has included the development plan for the pesticide industry in its list of key special plans for the 14th Five-Year Plan period. In 2019, it launched the formulation of this industrial plan, establishing a dedicated working group. Building on comprehensive research into major issues such as industrial spatial planning, technological innovation, the substitution of highly toxic pesticides, industrial transformation and upgrading, and relevant policy frameworks, the ministry convened experts to draft the “National Pesticide Industry Development Plan (2021–2025).” A preliminary draft has now been completed, which analyzes the current foundations of the pesticide industry, the prevailing circumstances and requirements, as well as the challenges it faces, and sets out the overarching vision, objectives, priority areas, and supporting measures for development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

Going forward, we will extensively solicit input from relevant stakeholders, further refine and improve the document, and issue it for implementation as soon as possible.

II. On Supporting Pesticide Innovation and R&D Projects

Innovation-driven development is the intrinsic impetus for scaling up and strengthening the agrochemical industry. In recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has attached great importance to the research, development, and promotion of new agrochemical products, steadily increasing investment in R&D. The central government allocates 16.8 million yuan annually to establish functional research laboratories on pest, disease, and weed management within the modern agricultural industrial technology system, employing 24 experts to conduct studies on control technologies for major food crops such as rice, corn, and wheat. While building comprehensive, green integrated management systems for pests, diseases, and weeds in these key crops, the ministry has also developed and screened a series of environmentally friendly, highly effective, multi‑component formulations for fungicidal, insecticidal, and herbicidal applications.

In addition, efforts have been actively pursued to establish a collaborative innovation mechanism for sharing both the risks and rewards of pesticide research. Led by Guangxi Tianyuan Biochemical Co., Ltd., this initiative brings together the resource strengths of leading enterprises in the pesticide industry, as well as research and educational institutions, to form the National Innovation Alliance for High-Efficiency, Low-Risk Pesticides. As a result, significant breakthroughs have been achieved in the development of novel green pesticides, particularly in the control of wheat scab.

Going forward, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will vigorously strengthen the research, development, and application of new pesticides, increase support measures, and foster collaboration among research institutions, educational organizations, extension agencies, and pesticide companies. The goal is to establish an innovation platform that covers the entire value chain and all stages of pesticide R&D, providing robust support for advancing the field. In response to critical needs—such as controlling fall armyworm, desert locusts, wheat stripe rust, Fusarium head blight, and rice‑borne “two‑migration” pests—as well as addressing the replacement of highly toxic and outdated pesticides and meeting the demands of aerial crop protection and green agricultural development—the ministry will develop a suite of new, high‑efficacy, low‑risk (low‑toxicity, low‑residue) green pesticide varieties and formulations. These efforts will provide strong support for national food security, the safety of agricultural products, and environmental sustainability.

III. On Strengthening Guidance for Specialized Pest Control Organizations

Professionalized pest and disease management represents the future direction of modern plant protection. In recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in conjunction with the implementation of subsidies for integrated pest and disease control and agricultural machinery purchase subsidies, has launched the “100 Counties for Integrated Pest and Disease Control” initiative in key areas where major pests and diseases frequently recur—such as wheat, rice, and corn. This effort has supported a number of specialized plant protection service organizations that are well‑managed, equipped with state‑of‑the‑art machinery, and deliver highly efficient services. It has also facilitated the acquisition of large and medium‑sized, high‑efficiency plant protection equipment, including drones, while establishing collaborative service mechanisms among agricultural extension agencies, service providers, and agrochemical and machinery enterprises. These measures have expanded service offerings, broadened service coverage, and elevated the overall quality of plant protection services.

Practice has shown that the development of specialized pest and disease control organizations has significantly improved control efficacy, reduced pesticide use, and played a crucial role in stabilizing grain yields, curbing pesticide residue contamination, and minimizing human and livestock poisoning.

Going forward, we will leverage the National Agricultural Technology Extension Association to designate a group of star‑rated service organizations nationwide, thereby upgrading and enhancing integrated pest management. We will also demonstrate and guide the development of specialized pest‑control entities, promote the safe and rational use of pesticides, and advance efforts to reduce pesticide application while improving efficacy.

IV. On Exploring the Introduction of a Registration System for the Use of Agricultural Inputs

The management of agricultural input use is a crucial component of agricultural input regulation. The newly revised Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides has established a licensing system for pesticide businesses, explicitly stipulating that operators must possess specialized knowledge of pesticides and pest‑and‑disease control, be familiar with relevant pesticide management regulations, and be capable of providing guidance on the safe and rational use of pesticides.

The accompanying regulations, the Measures for the Administration of Pesticide Business Licenses, formulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, further clarify that pesticide business operators must hold at least a secondary vocational degree in agronomy, plant protection, pesticide science, or a related field, or have completed no less than 56 hours of relevant professional education and training. They must also be familiar with pesticide management regulations, possess specialized knowledge of pesticides and pest‑and‑disease control, and be capable of providing guidance on the safe and rational use of pesticides. The implementation of the pesticide business licensing system has raised the entry threshold for pesticide operations, thereby enhancing both the qualifications of operators and the level of scientific, safe‑use guidance they can offer.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has strengthened technical training and guidance on the safe and responsible use of agricultural chemicals. Since 2012, it has launched a nationwide “Scientific and Safe Pesticide Use Training for One Million Farmers” campaign, which in 2019 alone reached 3 million farmers. The ministry has also produced and distributed 300,000 wall charts on the scientific and safe application of pesticides and 160,000 copies of the “List of Prohibited and Restricted Pesticides,” posting them in rural villages and at pesticide retailers to help farmers adopt precise and efficient application practices, thereby enhancing their capacity for the safe and responsible use of agrochemicals.

Going forward, we will proactively strengthen the grassroots agricultural technical workforce, enhance technical guidance and training on pesticide use, and, in conjunction with pilot programs for standardized management of pesticide retail outlets, explore a service model that requires certification for employment and prescribes pesticides only upon proper prescription. These efforts will raise farmers’ awareness of and proficiency in the safe and rational use of pesticides, thereby safeguarding food security, the quality and safety of agricultural products, human and animal health, and ecological environmental integrity.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs