Gwangju City is intensifying on-site management to ensure the safety of eco-friendly rice as the peak season for pest control approaches.
Due to the hot and humid weather leading to increased pest occurrences and control efforts, Gwangju City announced that it will conduct joint inspections of eco-friendly rice complexes throughout August in collaboration with local governments and the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service.
The inspections will focus on preventing the use of synthetic pesticides and the mixing of non-eco-friendly materials during the joint pest control process, as well as ensuring compliance with eco-friendly agricultural product certification standards.
August and September are critical months for rice pest control, requiring heightened attention to the safety management of eco-friendly agricultural products.
In response, Gwangju City will systematically manage the pest control process, centering on the 'pre-notification for joint pest control' system.
Those conducting joint pest control must submit a notification form to the relevant local government at least seven days before the scheduled pest control date, detailing the date, materials to be used, and public notice numbers. After the pest control is completed, a confirmation form must be submitted, including the actual date of control, materials used, and quantities.
On-site management will also be strengthened. Representatives of eco-friendly agricultural complexes will directly participate in the pest control process to verify that the materials used are organic and to check for any prohibited substances, such as synthetic pesticides.
Materials that are difficult to verify for public notice numbers or active ingredients, as well as those delivered in opened conditions, will be prohibited from use.
Even if farmers do not use pesticides directly, there is a risk of unintended contamination from pesticides applied on nearby conventional farms or from improper cleaning of pest control equipment. Therefore, preventive measures will also be implemented.
Buffer zones will be established, and barriers and warning signs will be installed. Additionally, when pest control is conducted on adjacent conventional farmland, representatives from eco-friendly agricultural complexes will be present on-site to oversee the process.
To enhance safety management, pre-education has also been conducted. On July 30, Gwangju City held a training session at the Agricultural Technology Center for over 100 representatives from complexes and pest control companies, covering safety management guidelines from the purchase to the transportation, storage, and application of eco-friendly agricultural materials, as well as the operation of the pre-notification system for joint pest control.
Kim Young-seok, head of the Eco-Friendly Agriculture Division in Gwangju City, emphasized the importance of thorough management from the pest control stage to maintain consumer trust in eco-friendly agricultural products.
He urged, “Representatives of complexes and pest control companies must strictly adhere to the pre-notification system and eco-friendly certification standards, and focus on on-site management to ensure the production of safe eco-friendly agricultural products through pre-monitoring and damage prevention.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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