Circular No. 49/2013/TT-BNNPTNT dated November 19, 2013 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on providing guidelines on criteria for identifying concentrated farming areas meeting food safety conditions

CIRCULAR
On guidelines on criteria for identifying concentrated farming areas meeting food safety conditions

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Pursuant to the Government s Decree No. 01/2008/ND-CP dated January 3, 2008 defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Decree No. 75/2009/ND-CP dated September 10, 2009, amending Article 3 of the Government’s Decree No. 01/2008/ND-CP dated January 3, 2008;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister s Decision No. 01/2012/QD-TTg dated January 9, 2012 on a number of policies to support the application of Good Agricultural Practices in agriculture, forestry and fishery;

At the request of Director of Department of Crop Production;

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development provides guidelines on criteria for identifying concentrated farming areas meeting food safety conditions

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Thing 1. Scope of regulation

This Circular guides criteria for identifying concentrated farming areas meeting food safety conditions to implement VietGAP-applicable projects of products specified in Clause 1, Article 2 of Circular No. 53/2012./TT-BNNPTNT dated October 26, 2012 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development promulgating the List of agricultural and fishery products supported under Decision No. 01/2012/QD-TTg dated January 9, 2012 of the Prime Minister on a number of policies to support the application of Good Agricultural Practices in agriculture, forestry and fishery (hereinafter referred to as Circular No. 53/2012/TT-BNNPTNT) .

Article 2. Subjects of application

Organizations and individuals engaged in activities related to planning and investing in infrastructure in concentrated farming areas meeting food safety conditions to implement VietGAP-applicable projects.

Chapter II
CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFYING CONCENTRATED FARMING AREAS MEETING FOOD SAFETY CONDITIONS

Article 3. Criteria for identifying concentrated farming areas

Concentrated farming areas meeting food safety conditions shall fully satisfy the following criteria:

1. Conforming to local agricultural development planning and being approved by provincial-level People s Committees.

2. Having the size suitable to each crop and specific conditions of each locality specified by the provincial-level People s Committees.

3. Practicing intensive farming for one of the crops specified in Clause 1, Article 2 of Circular No. 53/2012/TT-BNNPTNT; Particularly, vegetables or rice farming areas, depending on specific conditions, crop rotation may be practiced with other short-term crops.

4. Not being polluted in terms of soil, water and air in excess of the allowable limits affecting the quality of the produces; meeting the allowable limits of heavy metals in agricultural soil as prescribed in QCVN 03:2008/BTNMT dated July 18, 2008 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the allowable limits of some heavy metals, harmful microorganisms in irrigation water for farming as prescribed in the Appendix enclosed herewith.

5. Meeting the criteria on infrastructure for concentrated farming areas as prescribed in Article 4 of this Circular.

Article 4. Criteria for infrastructure of concentrated farming areas

1. Traffic system

The transportation system to farming areas, within regions and to produce-gathering places shall be convenient; levels and sizes of works shall be suitable to the region s production and investment requirements.

2. Irrigation system

a) For concentrated vegetable and rice farming areas: There shall be an active irrigation and drainage system; levels and sizes of works shall be suitable to the region s production and investment requirements;

b) For concentrated fruit, tea, coffee, and pepper farming areas: There shall be an active irrigation or drainage system or the exploitation of natural water sources such as groundwater, rainwater, lake and river water to meet the region s production requirements;

c) For concentrated farming areas affected by floods, tidal surges and saltwater intrusion: There shall be systems of dikes, embankments and sluice gates to prevent floods and saltwater, and demarcate the freshwater, brackish water and saltwater areas to meet the region’s production requirements.

3. Power system

The power system shall ensure sufficient capacity, stability, safety, be suitable to specific conditions, and meet the region’s production requirements.

4. Waste collection system

It is possible to apply one of two ways of collecting wastes and garbage from the use of pesticides:

a) The first way: Building a tank in a convenient position to collect bottles and packages of pesticides; The tanks must be solidly built with bottoms and roofs, and they shall not be arranged in low and hollow places; The number and size of tanks depends on the production scale and the use of pesticides;

b) The second way: Using sealed waste storage equipment to avoid waste emissions; The number and size of equipment depends on the production scale and the use of pesticides in the region.

Chapter III
ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

Article 5. Assignment of responsibilities

1. Responsibilities of provincial-level People s Committees

a) Approving the planning to identify concentrated farming areas meeting food safety conditions under their scope of management;

b) Directing the implementation of this Circular in their localities.

2. Responsibilities of the provincial-level Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

a) Formulating and submitting to the provincial People s Committee a plan to identify concentrated farming areas meeting food safety conditions in their localities;

b) Organizing the implementation of this Circular; Annually in the fourth quarter, they shall report on the implementation results to the provincial-level People s Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

3. Responsibilities of units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

a) The Department of Crop Production shall guide, monitor, inspect, summarize and report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on the implementation of this Circular;

b) Units under the Ministry shall, according to their assigned functions and tasks, participate in guiding and inspecting the implementation of this Circular.

Article 6. Provisions of implementation

1. This Circular takes effect from January 2, 2014.

2. This Circular replaces the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development s Circular No. 59/2009/TT-BNNPTNT dated September 9, 2009, guiding the implementation of a number of articles of Decision No. 107/2008/QD. -TTg dated July 30, 2008 of the Prime Minister on a number of policies to support the development of safe production, processing, consumption of vegetables, fruits and tea by 2015.

3. In the course of implementation, if any difficulties arise, agencies, organizations and individuals are requested to report them to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for consideration and timely settlement.

Appendix

ALLOWABLE LIMITS OF SOME HEAVY METALS AND HARMFUL MICROORGANISMS IN IRRITATION WATER FOR FARMING

(Issued together with Circular No. 49/2013/TT-BNNPTNT dated November 19, 2013 of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development)

Note (1): Excerpt from QCVN 39:2011/BTNMT - National Technical Regulation on irrigation water quality.