The Standardization Technical Committee for Fertilizers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has been established to promote standardization and industrial upgrading in the fertilizer sector.

On November 10, the inaugural meeting of the Fertilizer Standardization Technical Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, along with its first plenary session, was held in Beijing. Attending the event were Pan Wenbo, Director-General of the Department of Crop Production Management; Cheng Jingen, First-Level Inspector of the Department of Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Supervision; Chinese Academy of Engineering Academicians Zhang Fusuo and Zhou Wei; Wei Qiwen, Director of the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center; and all members of the technical committee. The meeting was chaired by Zhang Ye, Secretary of the Party Committee of the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center.

The meeting noted that, in order to further strengthen and standardize the fertilizer industry’s standardization efforts and help consolidate the foundation of food security, The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has decided to establish the Fertilizer Standardization Technical Committee, with its secretariat located at the National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center. This marks a milestone in the management of the fertilizer industry. The establishment of the Fertilizer Standards Committee is of great significance for comprehensively advancing standardization in the sector and upgrading the fertilizer industry; it is a concrete manifestation of implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, promoting high-quality development in agriculture and rural areas, and providing support to firmly consolidate the foundation of food security across the board.

The meeting emphasized that the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China put forward the goal of “promoting green development and fostering harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature,” and explicitly called for “advancing the economical and intensive use of all types of resources” and “strengthening source‑level prevention and control of soil pollution.” These important statements set new, higher standards for the standardization of fertilizers. The Fertilizer Standards Committee must earnestly fulfill its roles as an authoritative, leading, and driving force; adhere to a problem‑oriented approach; focus on key priorities; and continuously promote the scientific development and effective implementation of fertilizer standards, striving to usher in a new phase in fertilizer standardization.

First, strengthen standard-setting. Based on the actual development of the fertilizer industry, we will comprehensively review and establish a fertilizer standards system, prioritize the initiation, solicitation, research, and drafting of key and urgently needed standards, develop a set of high‑quality fertilizer standards, and further optimize China’s fertilizer standards framework.

Second, strengthen the promotion and implementation of standards. Accelerate the implementation of existing standards, making full use of diverse channels such as conferences, training sessions, and new media to broadly promote and explain these standards and disseminate related scientific knowledge, thereby enhancing public awareness of fertilizer standards and increasing their adoption rate and influence.

Third, strengthen standards management. Strengthen quality management throughout the entire process—standard solicitation, project initiation, drafting, submission for review, and approval—to enhance standard quality. Monitor the implementation of fertilizer industry standards, conduct follow-up assessments and periodic reviews, and put forward recommendations on revision, repeal, or continued validity. Promote industry management, market access, and quality supervision based on these standards, expand the scope of standard application, and reinforce the binding force of standards.

Fourth, leverage the role of expert think tanks. Fully leverage the professional expertise of all committee members, strengthen research and development on key standards, promote technological integration and demonstration projects, enhance standard quality, ensure that standards are scientific, advanced, and practical, and thereby drive an overall improvement in the level of fertilizer standardization.

The meeting also reviewed and approved the Charter of the Standards Committee, the Secretariat’s Rules of Procedure, and other relevant documents, and provided training on the procedures for developing and revising agricultural and rural industry standards, as well as the requirements for their review and management.

Source: National Agricultural Technology Extension