Farmers in Nghi Loc District, central Nghe An Province, spray insecticide on rice. Experts are discussing ways to make pesticide use safer and more effective.

Speaking at the event to review the implementation of the ordinance on plant protection and quarantine nationwide, Trung said that the inspection groups had recently strengthened examinations on pesticides sold at markets and business households.

The inspection findings showed that 73 among 5,000 farming households were producing and selling sub-par pesticides - a decrease of 11 per cent compared to previous years.

Inspectors also took samples sold at 15 large shops and dealers in 24 cities and provinces.

Only seven out of more than 600 samples were found to be substandard, Trung said.

According to department inspector Phung Mai Van, most of the pesticides were imported, mixed with other chemicals and divided into smaller packs.

Van said that annual inspections on these types of pesticides had been implemented. The results showed that about 10 per cent of nearly 4,000 samples had failed regulations on import quality. All of the products were returned or reprocessed to meet such requirements.

Trung said that the department had initially controlled the excessive amount of pesticides in fruits and vegetables at markets through quick tests.

Representatives said that the ordinance created a legal base for the management of agricultural production, and stricter and heavier punishments should be issued to warn those who violated the law.

Last year, relevant authorities found thousands of violations and fined businesses up to VND4 billion (US$210,520).

Ngo Tien Dung, a representative from the department, said that the Food and Agriculture Organisation was supporting the department to conduct the pilot project on controlling trade and using pesticides in Thai Giang and Thai Thinh communes in northern Thai Binh Province.

Local authorities would be trained to oversee better management on pesticides. The model would then be enlarged if it became successful, Dung said.

Harmful pesticides stockpiles eliminated

The United Nations and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment have announced a four-year project on safely disposing stockpiles of banned and harmful persistent organic pollutant pesticides in Viet Nam.

According to head of the ministry's Department of Environment Bui Cach Tuyen, the project, worth $11 million, aimed to support Viet Nam and all provincial authorities to examine and propose a national action plan to dispose of these pesticides and to better prevent environmental pollution.

Tuyen said that persistent organic pesticides were now banned in Viet Nam because of their long-term impacts on human health and the environment. However, stockpiles still existed.

A recent survey by the ministry showed there were 289 pesticide stockpiles in 35 cities and provinces, with 89 among them causing serious environmental pollution due to poor facilities and erosion.

As planned, at least 150 tonnes of persistent organic pollutant pesticide stockpiles would be safely destroyed.