Journal of Modern Agriculture April 2014, Volume 3, Issue 2, PP.23-27
Inspiration from Measures on Vegetable Production in Developed Countries Feng Zhong1, #, Yujing Sun2, Jingjing Yan2, Qianzhu Wang2, Deliang Ren2, Zhigang Yang2 1. Jilin Agricultural Machinery Experiment Appraisal Station No.6236 Xian Road, Changchun, 130062, China 2. College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering,Jilin University,No.5988 Remin Avenue,Changchun, 130025,China #Email: jdzzhongfeng@163.com
Abstract Production and management techniques to promote vegetable quality and safety in the United States, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany are studied in this paper. Vegetable quality control technologies, standardized vegetable production systems, socialized information services and law monitoring systems are analyzed. In order to improve vegetable quality in China some suggestions were put forward. Study results suggest that first step to promote vegetable production level is to introduce standard production practice and quality traceability system. It is also of benefit for improving vegetable safety and farmer’s interest to reform socialization vegetable production service system and regulation system. Keywords: Vegetable; Safety; Production; Standardization; Measures
1 INTRODUCTION Vegetable industry grows quickly in China. Vegetable area increased 35.119% from 2000 to 2010, and the annual vegetable yield increased from 356.89 million tons to 496.2 million tons [1]. With over 0.7 million tons annual increased export, annual vegetable export increased from 3.203 million tons to 8.027 million tons from 2000 to 2009[2]. On the other hand, vegetable quality accidents occurred frequently. 9 persons were injured by poisonous leek in Qingdao in April of 2010, and another 10 persons injured by the same accident was reported in Henan province in March of 2011. Trade disputes caused by vegetable quality increased also. Safety risk factors may lurk in any section among farm practice, processing, transportation and distribution of vegetable production. To promote vegetable quality and safety, it’s important to establish quality traceability system and to strengthen supervising in vegetable production. Good vegetable quality is provided by standard operations, social information services and regulation supervising systems in developed countries. With high-level mechanization, specialization and standardization, vegetable production operations in developed countries, from soil preparation, planting to post-harvest processing, are carried out by machines, and some of them are operated by automatic systems, in which manual operations are only supplement to machinery systems [3, 4]. Vegetable production technologies, management measures and methods to improve vegetable quality and safety in the United States, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and other developed countries are investigated in this paper. Suggestions to develop vegetable quality traceability system in China are brought forward at the end of this paper.
2 VEGETABLE QUALITY CONTROL TECHNIQUES IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES Quality control methods in vegetable production include vegetable and its circulation operation skills.
2.1 Vegetable Operation Techniques Growing environment and input materials are important safety factors in vegetable production. In addition, information-based operation management, such as archival records of soil measurement and operation plans, is - 23 www.jma-journal.org
adopted to improve vegetable quality in developed countries. To enhance market competition, regionalization vegetable production plan is executed in the U.S., Spain, and Japan so on. According to the plan, each vegetable base or vegetable farm is designed to supply several specials of most appropriate vegetable to all over the country. There are four main vegetable areas in the United States, which lied in the middle south, southwest, southeast and north of America. Winter vegetables are grown in middle south and southwest. While early winter- spring vegetables and cold vegetables are mainly produced in southeast and north of U.S., respectively [5]. Vegetable areas in Spain focus on five districts, Mediterranean coast, west Andalucia, Canary Islands, the inland areas and North Atlantic. The off-season cultivation of most summer vegetables is carried out in Canary Islands. Vegetables in North Atlantic coast are mainly supplied to domestic markets [6, 7]. Most vegetable bases of large and medium-sized cities in Japan are moved to exurbs. Soil, water and air are rigorously detected in vegetable base selection to protect vegetables from contamination [8]. To reduce amount of plant-protect productions, coated seed, insect-absorbed machine advanced bio-techniques are extensively studied in developed countries [9]. The coating agents with agricultural chemicals that would cause excessive pesticide residues are forbidden in the United States [5]. Film mulch, plant extracts and mineral oil are applied to control pests and diseases, and microbial herbicides, manual or mechanical weed are extensively used in Japan. Meanwhile biophysical methods, such as release the natural enemies, are utilized to control pests and diseases [3, 8] . New vegetable varieties, such as Eggplant, tomato, cucumber, pumpkin with disease resistance, insect resistance, cold resistance, and other characteristics already exist in America, Germany, Netherlands and Japan [10]. To increase soil organic content, concentrated & organic fertilizers, and straw returning techniques are advocated in Japan [5]. Only vegetable parts with commercial value are taken during harvest, while other vegetable parts remained in the field. At the same time, vegetable rotation or fallow systems are implemented in order to restore soil fertility, to improve soil structure, and to reduce the dependence on chemical fertilizers [8].
2.2 Circulation Operation Skills Vegetable circulation after harvest includes pack, transportation, delivery and sales, etc. Cold chain operation is extensively used in developed countries, in which vegetables are kept in suitable physiological temperature from pack to consumer’s refrigerator. Cold chain, with 1% ~ 2% vegetable depletion rate, includes pre-cooling, cold storage, transport in refrigerated trucks, cool storage in wholesale market, storage in supermarket freezer and consumer’s refrigerator. In order to tracing vegetable quality, the identifiers, such as vegetable name, specifications, manufacturer name, origin and bar code must be labelled on the packaging. The organization mode of vegetable circulation in developed countries often exists in powerful international combo. Vegetable supply in the United States is mainly taken over by a few international companies, who master advanced vegetable processing, preservation and delivery techniques and operate in global scale with worldwide subsidiaries. 75% ~ 95% vegetables in Netherlands are sold by cooperative association. Vegetable production in Japan characterizes by dispersive production and centralized sale. Vegetable circulation is divided into within market and outside market. Vegetable exchange is organised by the Agricultural Association. The procedure of circulation within market is generally as follows: production - market reception - wholesale - retail - consumption. There are three wholesale market levels, from central to local, in Japan. More than 80% vegetables are transited in wholesale market [3]. High-priced vegetables take the spot auction. Circulation outside market, in which vegetables are supplied from the origin, is used only by a few farmers, and carried out by retailer.
3 STANDARD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEM In order to improve the competition of vegetable industry, there are stringent operating standards on vegetable production, storage, transportation and sale in developed countries. For example, vegetable quality standard, size standard and packaging standard etc. The fruit and vegetable quality standard was enacted in early 1960s in the United States. Tied with laws and regulations, the vegetable product standards and service standards almost cover all sections of vegetable production, - 24 www.jma-journal.org
circulation and trade. With multi-area person involved in, such as government officials, experts and scholars, as well as people in industry, etc., vegetable grading standards are easy to absorb opinions from all sides, and facilitate their implementation and application. Vegetable production information, such as breed, weight, picking time, origin, and maturity, etc., must be labelled on the package to facilitate consumer’s choice of vegetables. Main vegetable quality and safety standards include: ① Vegetable identification standards. They are basic standards to protect consumers from deception of shoddy products or misleading labels; ② Vegetable quality standards. They can protect consumers from buying a unknowing product with big defect; ③ Vegetable container filled standards. They specify how to full containers, and how to mark on labels, in order to avoid misleading by fraud; ④ Vegetable quality grading standards. Formulated and recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these standards are the basis to grade, inspect and certify vegetables [11]. There are very detailed provisions on vegetable size, weight, colour, and maturity, etc., in vegetable quality grading standards. Pesticides, fertilizers, food additives, preservatives and other chemical substances are restricted strictly in vegetable production, storage and transport. Vegetable circulation standards play important role in Japan. Vegetable appearance qualities, such as shape, colour, no rot, no pest damage, clean, free of sand and other foreign matter, are specified in Japanese national standards. Grading standards are different on vegetable breeds. Indicators in grading standards include single weight, length, diameter, numbers of vegetable in a package unit, etc. [11].
4 SOCIALIZED INFORMATION SERVICES In order to reduce vegetable risk issues, comprehensive information service systems on vegetable production are founded in developed countries. Information service agencies provide not only information and technology services, but also finance and insurance services for vegetable operators. To ensure vegetable chain operation quality, seed companies, fertilizer and pesticide sellers, transportation companies, processing plants, agricultural associations and other service agencies cooperate with each other to provide technical advices, soil measurement, agricultural materials, purchase and sale information, laws and account and other services in the United States [11]. Governments attach great importance to the dissemination and exchange of vegetable safety information. Vegetable safety information is opened by public meetings, “Federal Gazette” notice, national and global electronic communication systems, internet or other ways. The Ministry of Agriculture in United States help vegetable producers in many ways by long-term “Fruits and Vegetables Plan”, such as to provide grading and inspection services, price and product information, and to supervise the implementation of trade laws and regulations [4]. Agricultural Association is the services center of vegetable production in Japan. Except for providing vegetable technology services and financial service, agricultural association agencies at different levels help governments to formulate vegetable development program and key investment plans [5].In recent years, electronic information nets of vegetable circulation in Japan make great progress. Centered with the convenience chain stores and large retail stores, POS system rapidly comes to popularity. Currently, large-scale retail stores in Japan introduced automatic ordering system (EOS) and value-added communication network (VAN) linking to food industry and wholesale trade. At the same time, wholesale markets are equipped with advanced information system, by which linked with major wholesale markets all over the world. With advanced information system, trade and demand information of vegetable at each store can be exchanged quickly. Thus, vegetable inventory turnover is greatly improved [10]. Due to the dependence of vegetable production on climate, agriculture insurance is introduced in vegetable production in Canada and America. Coinsurance of government and farmers is implemented in Canada. Governments encourage farmers to participate in insurance program by risk-sharing and afford part of insurance cost. Net-income fluctuation insurance program (NIFIP) is taken by the Department of Agriculture Risk Management Bureau in the United States. With NIFIP, farmers can get compensated for not only the loss of vegetable hit by natural calamity, but also the effect of price fluctuations in market. If excess production happened, the Ministry of Agriculture would uniformly purchase to ensure vegetable price stability, and to decrease producer’s loss. In case of a disaster, even uninsured vegetable can also get a compensation sane 40% interest as the average production level. Agricultural Association in Japan absorbs a lot of circulation fund through the financial system, and affords farmers - 25 www.jma-journal.org
with loan on concessional terms.
5 LEGAL AND REGULATORY SYSTEM ON VEGETABLE PRODUCTION Fully matured laws and regulations systems in developed countries guarantee that problems in vegetable production can be well checked and processed according to related laws. Vegetable production, processing, distribution and sale operation are generally supervised by one department to eliminate administrative loss. Food safety regulatory system in U.S. is divided into three section, federal, state and region levels. Federal agencies implement vertical management, which is a top-to-bottom “package” management for matters within the jurisdiction. In order to unify supervision of food safety, the European Union established the European Food Safety Authority, which is a directly Authorized agency under the EU institutions. There are more than 30 laws and regulations related to vegetable quality and safety in the United States. For instance, “the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA)”, “the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)”, “the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA)”, “the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA)”, “the Food and Health Transport Act (FHTA)”, “the Product Liability Act (PLA)”, “the Federal Environment Pesticide Control Act (FEPCA)”, “the Public Health Service Act (PHSA)”, etc.. All aspects of vegetables from planting to marketing are formulated clearly in related laws. In addition, some procedures, which must be accordance with the law, are also in possession of legal force. At the same time, the procedure to formulate new regulations and to amend law is very transparent in the United States. According to some laws, vegetable industry person, consumers and other people are permitted and encouraged to participate in the process of regulations development, revision and promulgation. On the other hand, the formulation of vegetable safety laws and regulations, and policy is based on risk assessment. Public health experts with good scientific qualifications, and scientists from the non-government regularly invited to provide suggestions on law clauses and their enforcement process [10]. Food quality and safety supervision system in Japan is balanced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Labor Ministry of Health and the Food Safety Commission [12]. So far, about 10 laws and regulations on vegetable production, such as “the Wholesale Market Act”, “the Vegetable Production Listing Stability Act” and so on, were promulgated Japan. The three designated, origin, variety and consumptions, are formulated in “the Vegetable Production Listing Stability Act”. The city with more than 200 thousand people and their surrounding areas are “designated vegetable consumptions”. On the other hand, the breeds in bulk demand, high quality varieties and their time-to-market are opened as decree, and adjusted according to changes of market. The “designated vegetable” accounted for 71% of total vegetable circulation [5].
6 SUGGESTIONS TO VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN CHINA Although vegetable industry makes great progress in recent year, vegetable safety problems remain serious. For instance, dispersive production & circulation operation, immature technology & service system, insufficient policy support and lack of supervision, are main factors to restrict vegetable production development. Some suggestions to solve these problems are as follows: 1) To establish vegetable quality safety traceability system. With the vegetable traceability, we could not only detect the vegetable pesticide residues, but also trace back to the origin, the farmer, circulation, fertilization and other relevant information. 2) To carry into execution of vegetable production standards, for example, to bring Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Good Manipulate Practice (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) into vegetable practice. 3) To reform socialization services system in vegetable production. Decentralized small-scale and domestic production should be combined and found farmer’s professional co-operatives to complete production and circulation information service system. We should promote government financial support on advanced technology - 26 www.jma-journal.org
study and extension, and bring insurance system into vegetable production. 4) To improve legal and regulatory systems. In order to form an effective vegetable supervision and management system, vegetable producers, businesses, consumers, and other personnel should be involved in revision and promulgation process of relevant regulations.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT This research is sponsored by World Bank loan program in Jilin province “Research on Greenhouse Vegetable Quality and Safety Traceability System (2011-Z56)” and Greenhouse Quality Safety Traceability System Research (20110255).
REFERENCES [1]
National Vegetable Industry Development Plan (2011-2020). Chinese Vegetable. 2012, 05: 1–12.
[2]
Recommendations of Vegetable Exports and Development Situation in China. Shandong Pesticide Information. 2011, 01: 21–25.
[3]
Jing Sun, Li Jiang. Development Characteristics of Vegetable Industry in the United States and Japan. World Agriculture. 2012, 09: 36–38.
[4]
Haitao Chen, Yecheng Wang, Wei Fu. Development Situation of Japanese Vegetable Mechanization and Its Enlightening to Us. Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering. 2005, 5: 9–13.
[5]
Haiyan Zhao, Wei Xu. Experience of Vegetable Industry in Developed Countries. World Agriculture. 2005, 06: 10–12.
[6]
J. Prohens, F. Nuez. Vegetable Industry in Spain (1). Shanghai Vegetables. 2001, 04: 38–39.
[7]
J. Prohens, F. Nuez. Vegetable Industry in Spain (2). Shanghai Vegetable. 2001, 05: 37–38.
[8]
Xiaoling Zhang. Mode of Production and Marketing on Pollution-free Vegetable in Japan. World Agriculture. 2004, 03: 33–35.
[9]
Runsheng Niu, Jianying Fan, Yali Fu, Xuan Zhao, Cui Di. Comparison of Chinese Vegetable Production Status and Good Agriculture Practices. Journal of Hebei Agriculture Sciences. 2011, 06: 98–100.
[10] Zhiquan Fang, Haiying Gu, Chaoxing Shi. Development Trends of Vegetable Industry in Japan, Chinese Rural Economy. 2003, 07: 70–75. [11] Fanzhen Kong. Experience and Inspiration of Vegetable Quality and Safety management in America. Agriculture Engineering Technology. 2006, 02: 45–47. [12] Rong Zhao, Juan Qiao. Food Quality and Safety Traceability System in Developed Countries and Experience. Chinese Public Administration Society. 2010: 7-13.
AUTHORS Yujing Sun got the BE in Mechanical Design and Manufacturing in formal Jilin University of Technology, ME Agricultural Mechanization Engineering in Jilin University and PhD in Agricultural Mechanization Engineering in Jilin University, 1993, 2000 and 2005, respectively. He is with the Jilin University, China. His main research interests include intelligent mechanical system design and simulation, quality measurement in agricultural products and food, and agricultural robots.
- 27 www.jma-journal.org