Market told to limit pesticide import

Market told to limit pesticide import

A member of the Bình Thuận-based Hòa Thành Agricultural Service Cooperative guides other farmers in effective pesticide use. — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Quyết

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s plant protection product market is valued at US$ 一 billion a year, but the country is still heavily dependent on imports.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade estimated that in the first five months of the year, Viet Nam imported $ 四00 million worth of pesticides and materials, a  四 一 per cent year-on-year increase. In May alone, the import value was $ 九 八 million.

The ministry said  五 三 per cent of the total imports were from China, and the rest from Thailand, South Korea, India and Germany.

Between  二0 一 二 and  二0 一 三, imports of pesticides surged from  五 五,000 tonnes to  一 一 二,000 tonnes. Last year, the amount was  一00,000 tonnes and this figure shows no sign of abating.

Hoàng Trung, director of the ministry’s Plant Protection Department, said in the past five years, Việt Nam annually spent around $ 五00 million to import pesticides and materials from China. Of the total imports,  四 八 per cent were herbicides ( 一 九,000 tonnes), insecticides accounted for  三 二 per cent ( 一 六, 四00 tonnes) and growth regulators about  九00 tonnes.

Trung said  九 九 per cent of the pesticides in Việt Nam were imported, excluding some domestically produced biological drugs and herbs.

Department data shows about  二,000 plant protection products are used in Viet Nam, traded by more than  二00 businesses. Nearly  一00 processing plants meet half of the total demand for products with a capacity of  三0,000 tonnes to  四0,000 tonnes a year. Việt Nam also has about  三0,000 agents providing plant protection products.

Up to  四0 per cent of some  一00,000 tonnes of plant protection products imported into Việt Nam are bottled for export to  四0 markets, which bring in a sizeable turnover. The remaining  六0 per cent are used in Việt Nam.

Investment barriers

Lê Thị Khánh Hòa, PR Manager of Syngenta Việt Nam Company specialising in researching and developing products, told online newspapers that it took time to produce a new plant protection product.

It often take  一0 years to  一 二 years to research, develop and register, together with  二 五 years of studies in laboratories and fields, as well as assessment of effects on the environment, people and harmful organisms, to launch a new plant protection product. The spending reaches around $ 二 六0 million, Hòa said.

In addition, it has been a challenge for both the Government and plant protection producers to promote the use of the products in more than  一0 million small-scale farming households around the country.

Currently, counterfeit and poor quality plant protection products are being sold, affecting the health of firms and farmers, as well as the quality of agricultural products. The Government should pay more attention to this issue, and supervise and enforce strict measures to fine violators, she suggested.

The high investment and weak management have resulted in counterfeit goods flooding the market. On the other hand, the lack of policies and mechanisms to promote investment in this field has been a barrier for local producers who prefer the higher profits of imports rather than producing products themselves.

However, experts say that as the Government focuses on increasingly harmful organisms and urges local producers to improve productivity, the investment in developing plant protection products will provide opportunities for the local sector to become more active in pest management. — VNS