Recently, Jiangsu Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals visited Jiangsu Changlong Chemicals Co., Ltd. to make investigations on high toxic pesticides such as carbofuran, methomyl, etc., to gain an understanding on the registration, production, sales and use of carbofuran and methomyl TC and formulations both at home and abroad.

Over the past two years, Jiangsu Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals has successively gone to Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong and other provinces to investigate the production, usage and risk detection of carbofuran and carbosulfan and has listened to the comments and suggestions from relevant departments and enterprises on the re-evaluation work of the two pesticides. The re-evaluation work on carbofuran and carbosulfan by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has already become a certainty.

Pesticide re-evaluation refers to re-evaluate with the latest scientific evaluation technologies and methods the effectiveness, security and economy of the pesticides which have received approval for registration, production and usage in a systemic way. The re-evaluations are carried out to meet requirements of the ever-changing social economy and the safety standards.

As one of the 12 high toxic pesticides still used in China, carbofuran plays an effective role in preventing and controlling nematode and destructive soil-inhabiting insects. As of December 2014, there are a total of 183 registered carbofuran products, including 8 TC products, 2 TKP products, 2 TK products and 171 formulations. Except for the 3% carbofuran GR against soil insects, the compound formulations are mostly seed dressing agents which are usually compounded with thiophonate-methyl, thiram and other fungicides. Carbofuran is approved to be used on wheat, paddy, corn, bean, peanut, cotton, sugarcane and beet. It is a bulk variety to be used against destructive soil-inhabiting insects. No alternative of the same effect for carbofuran has been found so far.

Over the past few years’ safety inspections on agricultural products, certain amount of carbofuran which exceeds the standard rate has been detected. Experiments have showed that carbofuran causes relatively high risks to birds, aquatic life, etc. Some countries have already put bans on the use of carbofuran. Carbofuran has been one of the pesticides to be re-evaluated in the list of the MOA. The MOA will accelerate the re-evaluation work in the principle of being scientific, cautious and open, and brings up the re-evaluation risk assessment report. According to the security risk assessment-effect analysis result, the MOA will gradually formulate measures to reduce risks or eliminate the product according to legal procedures.