Lax oversight blamed for poor fertiliser

 Fifty per cent of fertiliser samples tested in seven coastal provinces from Quang Nam to Binh Thuan have been confirmed to be poor quality, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Market Watch Department.

The use of low quality fertilisers could cause an estimated lost of around US$800 million for the agricultural sector annually, said the department's deputy director Do Thanh Lam at a workshop on Monday.


According to the department, violations of laws on the fertilizer trade have increased among individuals and businesses, including State-owned enterprises.

Many cases of producing fake or sub-standard fertiliser as well as fertiliser smuggling have been discovered across a number of provinces in the south and central Highlands regions, including in Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Dak Lak.

Many participants have blamed the loophole in State management over fertilizer management as one of the key reasons behind the problem. For example, under current regulations, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is in charge of managing inorganic fertilizer while the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for organic fertilizer.

The lack of human resources was also blamed by the workshop's participants.

The Market Watch Department has directed localities to increase oversight and build their own inspection plans to prevent the production and trade of sub-standard fertilizer. It has also ordered them to raise awareness among farmers of the consequences of using fake or sub-standard fertilizer products.