China to ban 10 high toxic insecticides

BEIJING--China plans to ban 10 types of high toxic insecticides by the end of this year in order to ensure agricultural production safety and protect the environment,the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said Tuesday.

MOA and four other departments have drafted a scheme on elimination and ban the use of high toxic insecticides and the scheme has been submitted to the State Council,China's Cabinet,for approval,said Zhou Puguo,deputy director of the Crop Production Bureau of MOA.

According to the scheme, production,sales and use of these insecticides will be banned from Oct 31, 2013 onwards.

China will conduct further research and evaluation about the economic impacts of the ban on the use of another 12 insecticides because there are no substitutes for them, Zhou said.

More than 400 companies have registered about 900 products. 22 types of them with toxics are mainly used on rice and cotton crops,he added.

He stressed that China will punish the production and sales of the illegal high toxic insecticides.