February 28, 2012

China, Ukraine to unite against poor-quality agrochemicals

China and Ukraine will fight as one the sale in the Ukrainian market of poor-quality plant protection products (PPP).

This is an urgent task in the light of the goal set to the Ukrainian farmers to increase annual grain production to 80-100 million tonnes.

The relevant memorandum of cooperation was signed last weekend in Beijing by heads of the State Inspection for Plant Protection of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and the Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals of China's Ministry of Agriculture, Oleksandr Tokar and Gu Baogen, the Beijing-based UKRINFORM correspondent reported.

"Up to 40% of the pesticides, which are supplied to Ukraine - this is China-made products. Of these, about 20% make counterfeit, which are either imported illegally, or do not comply with quality certification," Tokar emphasised. He noted that some structures declare themselves as Chinese manufacturers, but in fact they are offshore companies. According to inspectors, the number of such suppliers is up to 50% of their total number.

According to the chief inspector, for Ukraine it is very important to obtain information from China about who is the real producer of chemical products, and who is involved in counterfeiting. "The Chinese side agreed to provide a list of licensees that are involved in the manufacture," Tokar added. Furthermore, the signed document provides inspectors with mechanisms that will impose sanctions on the territory of countries against fictitious producers.

In Beijing, the sides signed one more memorandum - on cooperation between the Ukrainian Association of Fumigation and Plant Protection and the China Society for Plant Protection, which is also designed to control the coming of substandard products to the Ukrainian market.

As earlier reported, Ukraine produces almost no pesticides, buying them every year more and more. For example, in 2011 they were purchased at about US$350 million.