Directive No. 1159/CT-BNN-QLCL on the implementation of inspection and evaluation of conditions ensuring quality and food safety for agricultural inputs and agricultural, forestry, and aquatic product production and business establishments.

DIRECTIVE

On implementing quality control inspections and evaluations for agricultural inputs and aquatic, forestry, and agricultural product safety conditions

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Quality management of agricultural inputs and food safety for aquatic, forestry, and agricultural products is one of the key tasks of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. In recent times, many localities across the country have actively implemented activities to manage the quality of agricultural inputs and food safety for aquatic, forestry, and agricultural products. However, in reality, there still exist some low-quality and harmful agricultural inputs and aquatic, forestry, and agricultural products that do not meet food safety standards and are released to the market, causing losses to farmers and consumers, and arousing public concern and dissatisfaction.

To enhance the effectiveness of quality management of agricultural inputs and food safety for aquatic, forestry, and agricultural products, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has decided to organize regular, systematic inspections with classification assessments as the basis for applying different inspection and handling measures according to the classification results of agricultural input production and business establishments and aquatic, forestry, and agricultural product production and business establishments. Based on the results of pilot implementation in two provinces, Thanh Hoa and Tien Giang, concerning ten groups of agricultural input products and aquatic, forestry, and agricultural products that have significant concerns about quality and food safety, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Circular No. 14/2011/TT-BNNPTNT dated March 29, 2011, stipulating the inspection and evaluation of agricultural input production and business establishments and aquatic, forestry, and agricultural product production and business establishments.

To implement Circular No. 14/2011/TT-BNNPTNT uniformly and effectively nationwide, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development requests:

1. People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered municipalities:

a) Direct the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and People's Committees at all levels:

- To organize publicity and dissemination of legal regulations on ensuring the quality of agricultural inputs and food safety for aquatic, forestry, and agricultural products, especially the inspection and classification assessment activities of agricultural input production and business establishments and aquatic, forestry, and agricultural product production and business establishments as stipulated in Circular No. 14/2011/TT-BNNPTNT dated March 29, 2011.

- To coordinate with provincial/city agencies issuing business registration certificates to conduct statistics and compile lists of agricultural input production and business establishments and aquatic, forestry, and agricultural product production and business establishments within their respective provinces/cities.

- To unify with central inspection agencies assigned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to organize the implementation of the task of inspecting and supervising the quality of agricultural inputs and food safety for aquatic, forestry, and agricultural products as stipulated in Decision No. 3408/QĐ-BNN-QLCL dated December 20, 2010 regarding the list of agricultural input production and business establishments and aquatic, forestry, and agricultural product production and business establishments under the management of central and local authorities.

- To proactively propose training needs and send staff to participate fully in training and guidance programs organized by specialized agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Organize training and guidance for county and commune-level inspection agency staff.

- To develop plans and implement inspections and classification assessments of agricultural input production and business establishments and aquatic, forestry, and agricultural product production and business establishments within their respective provinces/cities according to the tasks assigned and delegated as stipulated in Circular No. 14/2011/TT-BNNPTNT. Firmly handle violations related to quality and food safety conditions of production and business establishments according to the law. Publicly announce on mass media the list of production and business establishments meeting and not meeting quality and food safety conditions within their respective provinces/cities to encourage those performing well and promptly address those failing to meet requirements.

b) Direct provincial/city agencies issuing business registration certificates to actively cooperate with local inspection agencies in handling violations of agricultural input production and business establishments and aquatic, forestry, and agricultural product production and business establishments within their respective provinces/cities, and revoke business registration certificates from establishments not meeting quality and food safety conditions upon recommendation of local inspection agencies according to the law.

c) Direct relevant agencies to inspect and handle agricultural input production and business establishments and aquatic, forestry, and agricultural product production and business establishments without business registration within their respective provinces according to the law.

d) Consider establishing specialized agencies for managing the quality of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (for provinces yet to establish such agencies), and invest in upgrading facilities and allocating necessary resources for local inspection agencies to ensure full performance of assigned tasks. Allocate annual regular funds for training, guidance, and dissemination of legal regulations on ensuring the quality of agricultural inputs and food safety for aquatic, forestry, and agricultural products; statistical, inspection, and classification activities of local inspection agencies.

2. Units directly under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

a. Specialized General Directorates and Agencies

- Urgently complete and submit to the Ministry for issuance of related regulatory documents, technical standards, statistical forms, inspection, and classification assessment forms as the basis for implementation.

- Organize training, guidance, and professional instruction for provincial-level inspection agencies, focusing on unified application of statistical forms, inspection methods, and classification assessment methods for production and business establishments under the jurisdiction of local inspection agencies. Support and guide provincial-level inspection agencies in organizing training and guidance for county and commune-level inspection agencies.

- Organize inspections, evaluations, and classifications for agricultural material production and business establishments and forestry and aquatic products production enterprises according to the division of labor and levels of authority assigned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Resolutely handle cases of violations concerning quality assurance and food safety conditions of production and business establishments in accordance with regulations.

- Publicly announce on the websites of the General Departments, Bureaus, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development the list of establishments that meet and do not meet quality assurance and food safety conditions within their jurisdiction to encourage well-performing establishments and promptly warn and deal with non-compliant establishments.

b. The Cadre and Civil Servant Department

Take the lead and coordinate with the General Departments and Bureaus managing specialized sectors to propose organizational systems and personnel management for agricultural material quality and forestry and aquatic products food safety at the district and commune levels.

c. The Finance Department

Take the lead and coordinate with the General Departments and Bureaus managing specialized sectors to propose and develop plans regarding fee and charge regulations serving inspection and evaluation activities for quality assurance and food safety conditions of production and business establishments of agricultural materials and forestry and aquatic products for submission to the Ministry for coordination with the Ministry of Finance to consider and promulgate according to their respective authorities.

Request localities and units to regularly report quarterly on the implementation results of this Directive to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (through the Bureau of Quality Management of Forestry and Aquatic Products).