Kaiyang to be top-quality agricultural product county

Kaiyang county in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, has reportedly given top priority to establishing itself as a producer of quality and safe agricultural products and is now making fresh moves in the endeavor.

In February this year, the county was identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as being among the third group of developing national agricultural product quality and safety counties.

This has reportedly brought new opportunities for improving the quality and safety of its agricultural products.

Kaiyang has established and improved a three-level grid supervision system for counties, townships (towns and sub-districts) and villages (bases).

At least three supervisors and two inspectors have been assigned to each township (town, sub-district) supervision station, with facilities and equipment for the rapid inspection and testing of pesticide residues and animal residues.

Each village has had one-two supervisors or coordinators appointed, to improve the effectiveness of agricultural product quality and safety.

Townships (towns, sub-districts) are required to sign a responsibility letter and operations commitment letter with producers to strengthen the control of agricultural product quality and safety.

The county has also instructed producers to list themselves on the national agricultural product quality and safety traceability management information platform – and since the start of the year, 136 enterprises have been listed on the platform.

In addition, there has been a crackdown on illegal activities, such as the production and sale of fake and inferior agricultural materials, the production and sales of banned agricultural (veterinary) drugs and the illegal addition of toxic and harmful substances.

Kaiyang has also encouraged and supported more qualified producers, specialized farm cooperatives, major bases and sales enterprises to introduce fast-test equipment, in order to promptly undertake self-inspections of agricultural products and safety.

In the year to date, the county has conducted 279,200 agricultural product quality and safety inspections and more than 98 percent have reportedly passed the random inspections.

Meanwhile, Kaiyang has increased its publicity and training agricultural product quality and safety to improve the public's awareness.