A senior grain official said on Friday that the country is
exploring more ecological and effective ways to manage its grain
storage in a bid to ensure safe resources for consumption and
production.
As part of a project with the United National Industrial
Development Organization, China has already stopped using
bromomethane as a pesticide in its grain storage facilities, as it
damages the ozone layer and leaves a residue in foodstuffs, He Yi,
director of the department of distribution and science and
technology development under the State Grain Administration (SGA),
said.
Tan Bengang, an SGA official who oversaw the project to replace
the chemical, told China Daily on Friday: "We now use
phosphine fumigation instead of bromomethane to control pests at
our storage depots, especially those in southern China which are
most prone to damage by pests."
Phosphine is more environmentally friendly and less likely to
leave residues in foodstuffs, experts have said.
Meanwhile, authorities are experimenting with other physical
methods of controlling pests in grain depots, including using
special inert dust and simulating low-voltage oxygen environments
in which the pests cannot survive.
"However, we have yet to implement these methods in grain
depots," Tan said.
According to official figures, the proportion of grain lost at
storage depots is about 0.2 percent. However, the figure can be as
high as 5 to 10 percent for individual grain producers due to pests
and mildew.
Finding effective ways to reduce the amount of grain lost by
producers and establishing greener storage methods are two of six
areas authorities want to address with the aid of international
cooperation.
The other areas are the development of modern grain logistics,
enhancing the refined production of grain and edible oils, building
quality control and rapid examination systems, and setting up a
modern information system for grain circulation.
As the world's largest producer, China's grain harvest is
expected to exceed 500 million tons this year.
With such high volumes being produced, much of the crop has to
be put in storage, sometimes for as long as five years. As a
result, minimizing losses and ensuring green storage methods are
the top priorities for the nation's grain authorities.
Agriculture authorities in other countries have also expressed
an interest in cooperating with China on grain technology.
Peter Hewitt, the agriculture counselor with the Australian
Embassy in China, said: "Grain safety is a global issue, not just a
bilateral issue.
"We hope we can improve the sharing of information, technology
and capacity building not only on a bilateral basis, but also on a
multi-level basis."
After a visit to laboratories at the Academy of State
Administration of Grain on Friday, Hewitt said: "China is a world
leader in grain technology research, especially in storage and
transport."
(China Daily December 15, 2007)