LookAtVietnam – Farmers and agricultural experts nationwide have disapproved a draft decree which provides punishments for farmers who use fake fertilisers.

Farmers in the central province of Nghe An spread fertiliser on the fields. A draft law that will punish farmers for using fake fertiliser has met stiff public criticism.

The department’s deputy director, Phan Huy Thong, said the use of the substandard fertiliser products was rampant so harsher penalties were necessary.

“People who use fake or banned products, cause environmental pollution or collude with traders of fake fertilisers must be punished.”

Thong said applying the regulations to farmers would force them to carefully monitor their fertiliser suppliers.

Luong Van Chuong, chairman of the Gia Tuong Agriculture Co-operative in Nho Quan district in Ninh Binh province, said farmers suffered all the losses when they are sold fake fertilisers.

“If they are punished such a large sum they will probably quit farming,” Chuong said.

“I had to watch every single meal when a crop of corn was ruined by substandard fertilisers last year,” said Tran Thi Lanh from Kien Phong village in Nho Quan district.

“I’m afraid I will have to sell my house if I’m punished,” Lanh said.

The deputy director of Ca Mau Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dang Dinh Binh, said farmers usually could not distinguish between genuine and fake products when they had the same labels.

“It’s even harder to evaluate nutritional content. Farmers are the victims, so they shouldn’t be punished,” Binh said.

Pham Thanh Hai, the deputy chief inspector of the ministry’s HCM City office, said the regulation might deter farmers from reporting being sold fake products.

“Farmers lack information and knowledge to choose quality fertilisers, so it’s important they receive updated information,” said Nguyen Van Chuc, director of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Vinh Phuc province.

“It’s enterprises and individuals who manufacture fake products who should be punished,” Chuc said.

Ministry inspectors said 110 of 270 fertilisers they checked in nine Mekong Delta provinces this year were substandard. Most were in Vinh Long, An Giang, Long An and Tien Giang provinces. An Giang and Tien Giang had the highest percentage with more than 63 and 55 per cent, respectively.

Inspectors said many kinds of fertiliser had a nutritional content 70-80 per cent lower than required.

Nutritional content of products sold by the Kieu My Production Enterprise in Tra Vinh and by the Thanh Phat in Tien Giang ranged from 0.05-0.25 per cent as it was mixed with a large amount of clay and ash.

The decree would increase fines for producers of fake fertiliser from VND13-15 million ($722-833) to VND100 million ($5,550).

The ministry is gathering opinions from various parties before making a submission to the Government.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News