May 14 (Xinhua) -- A symposium was held in Beijing recently to mark the third anniversary of the Regulations on the Management of Farm Chemicals, the first such regulations on the administration of farm chemicals in China, issued by the State Council in 1997. Recent tests have shown that the qualification rate of farm chemicals has now reached 70 percent, up from the previous 60 percent.

Some 11,045 farm chemicals including products from abroad were registered with the Ministry of Agriculture in 1999, and the registration rate increased from 75 percent three years ago to the current 90 percent.

Under the regulations, authorities began strictly controlling production, stopping redundant projects, and eliminating those consisting poisonous materials.