97.8 pct of China's agricultural products above quality standard in 2017

BEIJING -- China is making headway in ensuring agricultural products safety, with 97.8 percent of the major agricultural products tested meeting or exceeding the quality standard in 2017.

The up-to-standard ratio rose to 98.1 percent in the first half of this year, according to a work report submitted at the bimonthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee that closed Friday.

The report, on the implementation of the Law on Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, said China's agricultural products test system has basically covered all cities and counties, with 32,000 people working in 3,293 agricultural products inspection bodies.

It was also revealed that China had adopted more sets of standards covering the use of pesticides and veterinary drugs.

Still, the report also listed problems ranging from farmland pollution, use of substandard pesticides, to weak enforcement in agricultural products inspection. It warned that 2.9 percent of China's farmland is moderately or severely polluted.