Organic fertilizer should enjoy the same treatment as fertilizer

Recently, the eighth seminar on composting technology was successfully held. During the conference, numerous companies and experts raised concerns about the existing organic fertilizer industry standards and the unequal treatment faced by the sector. It was emphasized that organic fertilizers should be treated equally with chemical fertilizers. According to the "2012-2016 Organic Fertilizer Market Research and Development Trend Report" released by China Business Consultants, there are over 500 organic fertilizer manufacturing enterprises in China. These firms produce three main types: refined organic fertilizers, organic-inorganic compound fertilizers, and bio-organic fertilizers. By 2011, the industry's market size had reached 102 billion yuan, with expectations of reaching 150 billion yuan by 2015. Firstly, should organic fertilizers be pelletized? Mr. Li Yong, deputy general manager of an organic fertilizer company in Tianshui, Gansu, argued that producing granular organic fertilizers would increase costs by 40-50%, even without considering expenses. Moreover, he believed that granular organic fertilizers might not necessarily perform better than powdered ones. He suggested that powdered organic fertilizers should be considered a standard in the industry. On June 1st, the newly revised Organic Fertilizer Standard (NY525-2012), issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, came into effect, omitting any mention of the form of organic fertilizers. However, the Organic-Inorganic Compound Fertilizer Standard (GB 18877-2009), which took effect on May 1, 2009, stipulates that the granulation rate must be at least 70%. Despite the granulation requirement in the Organic-Inorganic Compound Fertilizer Standard, Mr. Wu Shide, deputy general manager of Guangdong Xintian Runtian Fertilizer Co., Ltd., disagrees. Like Mr. Li Yong, he argues that granulation reduces enterprise production efficiency and leads to resource wastage. Mr. Chen Mingyuan, an engineer at Chongqing Wanzhi Jufeng Ecological Fertilizer Co., Ltd., stated that the decision to granulate organic fertilizers depends on the market. For distributors, granular organic fertilizers command higher prices than powdered versions, leading to greater profits. Mr. Sun Hao, a distributor from Heilongjiang, noted that in regions like Northeast China and North China, where mechanization is advanced, powdered fertilizers lack proper dispensing equipment, making granular fertilizers the only viable option. However, Mr. Wu Shide insists that granulation cannot be universally applied and must consider regional planting characteristics and environmental conditions. For instance, in southern regions where fruit trees and vegetables are commonly cultivated, granular fertilizers work better for fruit trees due to their long growth cycles. Conversely, vegetables require immediate nutrient effects, which powdered fertilizers can provide. Additionally, in windy northern and coastal areas, granular fertilizers are less prone to being blown away and are more favorable to farmers. Professor Chen Qing from the College of Resources and Environment at China Agricultural University remarked that while the market guides fertilizer development, it is also shaped by those within it. The market should be regulated to meet farmers' specific needs and enhance the industrialization of organic fertilizers. Secondly, why doesn't organic fertilizer receive the same benefits as chemical fertilizers? In China, chemical fertilizers enjoy preferential railway freight rates under the Ministry of Railways' tariff system, following the "No. 2" freight rate outlined in relevant documents. Since 1997, the Ministry of Railways has adjusted freight prices 11 times, with three adjustments specifically targeting fertilizer transportation. At the end of May this year, the Ministry increased the fertilizer tariff by 13.7%. However, organic fertilizers remain excluded from the list of agricultural fertilizers eligible for these preferential freight rates. This disparity in "transportation treatment" became a focal issue at the composting seminar. Wu Shide mentioned that currently, organic fertilizers only benefit from the exemption of value-added tax, lacking the same tax and transportation benefits as chemical fertilizers. Particularly in transportation, the costs for organic fertilizers are excessively high. For instance, shipping organic fertilizers from Guangdong to Yunnan costs up to 300-400 yuan per ton, significantly increasing the overall cost compared to the factory price. These vast differences in transportation costs have led to "unequal treatment" for farmers far from production sites and have severely weakened the competitiveness of many products. Shanxi Changxin Bio-Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., located over 2,000 kilometers from Guangdong, is actively expanding its organic fertilizer market in Guangdong. However, Wei Wei, the company's marketing director, expressed frustration, stating that due to transportation costs, the equivalent organic fertilizer sold in Guangdong costs several hundred dollars more than in Shanxi's local market, reducing the product's competitiveness. Why does organic fertilizer, which is essentially the same as chemical fertilizer, fail to receive national policy support? Wei explained that the earlier development of commercial organic fertilizers lagged behind and missed the "golden opportunity." In this regard, Li Ji, a teacher at the College of Resources and Environment at China Agricultural University, believes that due to the long-term use of chemical fertilizers, their negative impacts are becoming apparent. Currently, organic fertilizers are on the rise, and both policy orientation and market demand indicate that their transportation and other preferential policies are just around the corner. Thirdly, there is room for improvement in the standards. Although the new organic fertilizer standards impose stricter requirements on organic matter, total nutrient content, and heavy metals than previous versions, many corporate representatives and experts believe that further revisions are necessary. "Too few regulations exist, and the standard system is incomplete," Chen Mingyuan remarked. He noted that the current standards are vague regarding raw material usage. Some organic fertilizer producers do not adhere to the defined raw materials, leading to products whose active organic matter content does not meet standard requirements. As a result, adding mineral organic carbon has become a "secret formula" for passing inspections, and the quality of such products cannot be guaranteed. Consistent with Chen Mingyuan's view, Jia Xiaohong, deputy director of the Beijing Soil and Fertilizer Station, also believes that despite stricter indicators in the new standard, there are still issues. He pointed out that the new standard revised the oxidation correction coefficient for measuring organic matter content from 1 in the old standard to 1.5. However, during testing, some organic fertilizers made from high-carbon raw materials showed organic content exceeding 100%, which is clearly unreasonable. Additionally, industry insiders noted significant deficiencies in the new standard's detection of organic matter. The current detection method cannot differentiate between effective and ineffective carbon, allowing products with high levels of ineffective carbon to meet organic fertilizer standards. Some experts suggest considering the measurement of fermented carbon, though the method is cumbersome. In conclusion, while the new organic fertilizer standards represent progress, they still require refinement to ensure quality and fairness across the industry.