Circular No. 05/1998/TT-BNN-BVTV guiding the implementation of Directive No. 09/1998/CT-TTG dated February 18, 1998 on urgent measures to exterminate rats and protect crops as issued by the Government.

CIRCULAR

Guidelines for Implementing Directive 09/1998-CT-TTg dated February 18, 1998 on Urgent Measures to Eradicate Rats and Protect Crops issued by the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister has issued Directive 09/1998/CT-TTg dated February 18, 1998 on urgent measures to eradicate rats and protect crops. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development guides the objectives, requirements, contents, and implementation organization of the Prime Minister's Directive as follows:

I. OBJECTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS

Through the implementation of Directive 09/1998/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister, the following objectives and requirements need to be achieved:

1. To disseminate and popularize among the entire population the awareness of the danger and harm caused by rats destroying crops and living environments.

2. To organize and mobilize all forces to participate in rat eradication efforts effectively, protecting crops and ecological environments. Controlling the harm and minimizing losses caused by rats to agricultural production to the lowest extent possible.

3. To protect and develop wild animal species, immediately prohibiting the hunting and exporting of cats and other natural predators of rats such as pythons, snakes, owls... for export or food consumption. Encouraging and assisting people in raising cats at home to control rats.

II. CONTENT

1. Propaganda:

Using mass media such as newspapers (spoken, visual, written), posters, slogans... to widely disseminate throughout the population the serious harm caused by rats, thoroughly understanding the content, significance, and importance of Directive 09/1998/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister on urgent measures to eradicate rats and protect crops; encouraging everyone to take the initiative, set examples, and actively prevent and control rats.

Collecting materials introducing research results both domestically and internationally related to rats and compiling them into pamphlets, simple and easy-to-understand picture books to popularize among the general public.

Timely informing about the results of rat eradication in various localities, the experiences of farmers in rat control, highlighting good examples of rat eradication.

2. Training Programs:

Training provincial plant protection officers basic knowledge about harmful rats, factors affecting the emergence and development of rats, survey methods, evaluation methods of damage, and effective rat control measures.

Through training sessions for farmers and IPM clubs and other organizational forms, training farmers basic knowledge about harmful rats.

The Provincial Plant Protection Bureau has a program and plan to coordinate with the education sector to encourage biology teachers in schools to conduct extracurricular activities for students in general schools to understand the rat species and its harm, and effective manual rat capture methods.

3. Field Investigation and Monitoring:

Provincial Plant Protection Bureau staff regularly investigate rats in fields, compile the situation of damage, distribution, measures taken, and issues needing resolution; these data are included in the regular pest bulletin every five days.

Guiding farmers, who are directly involved in production, to frequently monitor and inspect fields daily and weekly during crop production periods to promptly detect rats, be aware of preventive measures, and immediately inform the plant protection agency.

4. Organizing Rat Eradication Campaigns:

Based on the content of Directive 09 of the Prime Minister, Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development should proactively coordinate with mass organizations (Youth, Women, Farmers...), armed forces, primary schools to organize rat eradication campaigns. The timing of rat eradication should focus on:

Transition periods between crop seasons (best during the flooding and land preparation period).

Mid-crop planting period (rice plants are in the tillering stage).

During floods when rats are still alive and clustered together.

In 1998, depending on specific circumstances, each province and centrally-administered city should carry out from 3 to 5 rat eradication campaigns, each lasting from 5 to 7 days.

Research, Survey, and Application of Rat Control Methods:

The Plant Protection Institute and the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences will implement additional research topics on rats (migration and invasion capabilities of rats) between different crop seasons in various ecosystems, rat prevention measures. Expanding technology transfer for the production of biological rodenticides to provinces and researching techniques to ensure quality, usage time, and reasonable costs...

The Plant Protection Bureau will implement some research and survey projects on assessing rat damage and rat control measures, developing integrated rat control models for rice.

Provincial Plant Protection Bureaus will implement research and rapid surveys on application methods, particularly focusing on manual methods and folk experiences.

6. Encouraging and Restoring Cat Raising Among the People, Protecting and Developing Natural Predators of Rats:

Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of provinces and centrally-administered cities need to advise the Chairman of the People's Committee of the province or city:

Issuing documents to determine policies and measures to encourage and support the people in protecting and raising cats (both rural and urban areas).

Strengthening guidance for functional departments in the province to conduct inspections and revoking business licenses, immediately shutting down restaurants serving cat meat; strictly handling individuals transporting and selling cats across borders and to restaurants.

Promptly recommending relevant state agencies to handle strictly cases violating Directive 359/TTg dated September 25, 1996 of the Prime Minister on Urgent Measures to Protect and Develop Wild Animal Species, Directive 09/1998/CT-TTg dated February 18, 1998 of the Prime Minister on Urgent Measures to Eradicate Rats and Protect Crops, and related documents on rat eradication and crop protection.

Forestry agencies should develop plans and policies to protect and develop natural predators of rats such as pythons, snakes, owls... submit to competent authorities for approval and strengthen inspections to eliminate restaurants serving meat of pythons, snakes hunted in the wild locally.

III. IMPLEMENTATION

1. AT Central:

a. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

The Rat Eradication Steering Committee of the Ministry shall be established with five members, headed by the Deputy Minister as Chairperson, the Director of the Plant Protection Agency as Vice-Chairperson, and three other members from relevant units participating. The functions, tasks, and operational methods will be detailed in the Ministry's decision on the establishment of this Steering Committee.

b. Relevant units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development assigns the following unit to implement specific tasks:

Plant Protection Agency:

Assist the Ministry in directly supervising the implementation of the Prime Minister's Directive and the Ministry's Circular, including:

Contacting, exchanging information, urging relevant units within the Ministry to carry out assigned tasks, and regularly organizing inspections to grasp the situation and assist localities in effectively directing rat eradication efforts.

Assign the Plant Quarantine Stations at border gates to cooperate with animal quarantine stations and relevant agencies at border gates to control and prevent the export of cats and other natural predators of rats.

Assign regional Plant Protection Centers under the Agency to conduct surveys, quickly apply some rat eradication measures, and investigate and assess the damage caused by rats.

Develop plans, contents, and organize four training courses for plant protection officers of provincial and municipal plant protection branches, which must be completed in the second quarter of 1998.

Edit video tapes and compile materials in various forms (folded leaflets, wall posters, etc.) to introduce the biological characteristics, harm caused by rats, and effective rat eradication methods that are safe for humans, animals, and the environment. Preparation work will be carried out in March, April, May, and completed in the second quarter (materials, posters) and the beginning of the third quarter of 1998 (video tapes).

Coordinate with mass media organizations to publicize the harm caused by rats, the fundamental causes leading to ecological imbalance and increased rat density, short-term and long-term rat eradication measures.

On the 20th of each month, compile the situation and results of implementing the Directive to report to the Prime Minister through the Ministry.

Organize three summary conferences in three regions (North, Central, and South) in the fourth quarter of 1998, and a summary conference for northern and southern provinces and cities on the implementation of Directive No. 09/1998/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister in March 1999.

Plant Protection Institute:

Produce biological rat baits ensuring quality and timely supply to localities.

Monitor the quality of biological rat baits in Vinh Phuc, Thai Binh, while transferring production technology to Hai Phong, Ha Tay in April 1998, and prepare facilities to transfer to Nghe An, Quang Ninh, and subsequent months.

Using funds allocated by the State in 1998 and 1999, conduct research on: species composition structure; rat reproduction; population fluctuations and migration after rice harvest; the introduction (appearance) of rats in rice fields during each crop season (northern region); survey and calculation methods for rat numbers in rice fields and evaluation methods for rat damage to be applied in regular pest and disease surveys by the local plant protection system.

Guide localities in applying the Institute's research results on rats.

Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Science and Technology:

Produce biological rat poison Miroca ensuring quality and meeting local requirements.

Participate in Research Project 02-07 "Studying and Applying Microbial Technology in Plant Protection Work." In this project, the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Science and Technology will study rat species composition according to different ecosystems, rat damage characteristics according to seasons, and rat ecology.

Announce research results and application materials to the Plant Protection Agency for joint publicity, guidance, and supervision.

Expand cooperation with Hungary and Russia to continue researching new products to develop a nationwide biological rat eradication program.

Study to improve the effectiveness of biological rat poison Miroca, coordinate with relevant agencies to quickly transfer this technological advancement to production.

Assist localities in building models for producing Miroca products locally.

Southern Academy of Agricultural Science:

Transfer and guide localities in applying national-level research results and those conducted in recent years.

Forest Protection Agency:

Develop specific plans and schemes to implement Directive No. 09/1998/CT-TTg dated February 18, 1998, and continue to promote, disseminate, and guide the content of Directive No. 359/TTg dated May 29, 1996, of the Prime Minister regarding urgent measures to protect and develop wild animal species.

Propose policies and guide and encourage collectives and individuals to expand breeding bases for rat predators (snakes, pythons, owls, etc.) for both economic purposes and conservation.

Develop and print video tapes and instructional materials on protecting beneficial wildlife (snakes, pythons, owls, etc.) to help people eradicate rats.

Coordinate with the Plant Protection Agency in providing information and materials to build video tapes and materials serving information dissemination, publicity, and guidance on implementing the Prime Minister's Directive No. 09/1998/CT-TTg.

2. AT Localities:

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall draft and submit to the People's Committee of the province or city for issuance of a Directive on rat eradication and the establishment of a rat eradication steering committee to protect crops at the provincial and municipal levels, and assist the Provincial People's Committee in directing the implementation of this Directive. Conduct mid-term reviews of rat eradication campaigns at the end of the second, third, and fourth quarters of 1998, and a year-end review of the implementation of the Government's Directive in February 1999, and submit reports to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development after each mid-term and year-end review.

Plant Protection Branches shall perform the following tasks:

Develop detailed plans to implement the Prime Minister's Directive No. 09/1998/CT-TTg and the Provincial People's Committee's Directive on rat eradication.

Specifically determine the time to launch a nationwide rat eradication campaign.

Propose support policies for rodent control work, particularly protecting and developing cat breeding at the local level (specific plans and targets must be set, striving to reach an average of 5% of rural households in the province raising 1-2 cats by March 1999).

ứApply pilot measures for trapping rodents using crop traps (TBS).

Inspect, monitor, and urge rodent control work.

Collaborate with relevant sectors to conduct inspections on the implementation of Directive 09/1998/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister and directives of the provincial People's Committees.

Report periodically every 15 days (on the 1st and 16th of each month) to the Plant Protection Department on the progress and results of rodent control.

3. Coordinate Implementation:

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will closely coordinate with the provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees and related sectors (Police, Customs, Inspection, Market Management, Environment, Health...) from central to local levels to direct the implementation of inspections, controls, and prevention of illegal hunting of natural rodent predators and provide guidance on handling captured rodent carcasses to ensure environmental hygiene.

Cats and other natural rodent predators obtained through illegal trade and discovered during inspections must be handed over to competent authorities to be released back into their natural habitats.

IV. FINANCING:

1. AT Central:

To effectively implement the contents of Directive No. 09/1998/CT-TTg dated February 18, 1998, of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requests the Ministry of Finance to approve funding for units such as the Plant Protection Department, the Institute of Plant Protection, and the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Science to conduct research, apply research results, and train on rodent damage to crops in 1998. For the Plant Protection Department, funding for implementing Directive No. 09/1998/CT-TTg and the Circular guiding it should be allocated from fees and charges collected by the Department in 1998.

2. AT Localities:

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall develop a financing plan to submit to the provincial People's Committee for approval and allocation of funds for local rodent control activities according to the contents of Directive No. 09/1998/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister.

This Circular replaces previous Circulars No. 1039/BNN-BVTV dated March 2, 1998, and No. 1203/BNN-BVTV dated March 14, 1998, issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. During implementation, if there are any difficulties, they should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for resolution./.