Making a 'birth certificate' for biological pesticides is too difficult.

CAN THO Many experts say that the registration and circulation recognition of biological pesticide products is currently too difficult, causing production and supply to remain modest.

Low usage

On the morning of November 15, the Vietnam Plant Protection Science and Technology Association (VNPPA), the Vietnam Rice Industry Association (VIETRISA) and the Vietnam Pesticide Production and Trading Association (VIPA) in collaboration with Can Tho University co-organized the Workshop "Promoting the use of biological products in preventing and controlling pests on rice towards green and sustainable rice production".

Seminar “Promoting the use of biological products in preventing and controlling harmful organisms on rice towards green and sustainable rice production” held at Can Tho University. Photo: Kim Anh.

Assessing the current situation of using biological pesticides in recent times, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tuat - Chairman of VNPPA said that in 2023, the amount of biological pesticides used nationwide was more than 9,100 tons (accounting for 19.46% of the total amount of pesticides used). In particular, in the Mekong Delta - a highly intensive agricultural area, the amount of biological pesticides used accounted for over 40% of the whole country, equivalent to about 3,707 tons.

Based on the amount of biological pesticides used, Mr. Tuat assessed that Vinh Long is the locality that uses the most biological pesticides in the Mekong Delta, with 2.18 kg/ha of planting. Can Tho City and Ca Mau have an average usage level, with the amount used from 1.15-1.31 kg/ha of planting. An Giang and Dong Thap provinces have a low level of biological pesticides use, with the amount used from only 0.39-0.65 kg/ha of planting.

Mr. Tuat added that rice is the main crop in the Mekong Delta, so the use of biological pesticides is very necessary. However, currently, the number of biological pesticides used on rice is not much compared to other crops.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tuat - Chairman of the Vietnam Plant Protection Science and Technology Association (VNPPA) assessed the current situation of using biological pesticides. Photo: Kim Anh.

In fact, in Can Tho City, rice plays a key role in the agricultural production structure, with an annual planting area of ​​over 700,000 hectares and an output of over 4.5 million tons. However, the city's Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection recognizes that the use of biological pesticides is still modest, accounting for less than 17% of the total amount of pesticides used. On average, per hectare of rice, Can Tho farmers use biological pesticides ranging from 1.07-1.11 kg/ha/year (period 2023-2024).

According to Ms. Tran Thi Kim Thuy - Deputy Head of the Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection of Can Tho City, the reason for the above situation is that a number of farmers are still hesitant and do not trust the effectiveness of biological drugs compared to traditional chemical drugs. The use of biological drugs also requires technical knowledge (dosage, timing, weather conditions) while long-standing farming habits make people reluctant to change.

In addition, some biological products are expensive, slow-acting, and have not created strong competitiveness in the market, especially in the context of high material prices, farmers prioritize "fast - strong" solutions to protect productivity. On the other hand, the number of biological pesticides registered and circulated in Can Tho is not much, including some products that are not really suitable for the climate and soil conditions of the Mekong Delta.

Stuck with "birth certificate" for biological pesticides

In addition to the above issues, Engineer Ho Quang Cua affirmed: "Making a 'birth certificate' for biological pesticides is currently too difficult." He cited: "Our ST25 rice variety was fortunate to be tested in 6 regions across the country, and was recognized individually for each region. However, the Trichoderma product (antagonistic fungi strains) of Dr. Duong Minh (Can Tho University) has been famous for a long time, but is currently still an experimental product, not yet included in the list of biological pesticides."

Engineer Ho Quang Cua affirmed that the current recognition process for biological pesticides is too difficult. Photo: Kim Anh.

In addition, the technology of preserving biological pesticides is also an issue that is being discussed. Engineer Ho Quang Cua said that he was once a “victim” of biological pesticide products that were too “expired”. Therefore, he believes that in order to develop biological products for safe rice production, the professional sector needs to support the product recognition and technology to preserve the products for a long time.

Statistics from the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) show that in 2024, only 39 biological pesticides will be registered in the List, out of a total of 393 pesticides.

Thus, the total number of biological pesticides in the List to date is 857 trade names (according to Circular No. 25/2024/TT-BNNPTNT and Circular No. 03/2025/TT-BNNMT), while the List of pesticides permitted for use in Vietnam has up to 4,374 trade names.

According to the representative of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the Department still has preferential policies for registering biological pesticides. For example, the testing time is shortened to only 4 tests in two regions on a large scale, instead of 10 tests like registering chemical pesticides.

Regarding effectiveness, the requirement for chemical pesticides is 75% or more, while for biological pesticides, the effectiveness is reduced to only about 70%. Regarding registration procedures, the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection also prioritizes quick and early processing of applications for businesses registering biological pesticide products. However, these solutions have not yet created the motivation to promote the development of biological pesticide production.

The current use of biological pesticides in the Mekong Delta region is still at a low level. Photo: Kim Anh.

Some experts also believe that it is necessary to absorb and select international experiences to supplement and perfect regulations on biological pesticide management. In particular, it is necessary to focus on innovating the registration of biological pesticides to create harmony with the regulations of advanced countries.

These include: issuing a list of low-risk biological pesticides, removing some requirements for test data for these products to simplify registration procedures; having regulations on cases of pesticides that are given priority for special registration; increasing the validity period of biological pesticide registration certificates to 10-15 years, instead of 5 years as present; adding regulations that only allow biological pesticides to be sold online; innovating regulations on labeling biological pesticides...

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/lam-giay-khai-sinh-cho-thuoc-bvtv-sinh-hoc-qua-kho-d784476.html