The FAO-supported Vegetable IPM-FFS Programme was launched in Yunnan Province (2003) and Guangxi Province (2007), P. R. China. Both provinces had previously not been involved in any IPM-FFS activities and thus an FFS training program had to be set up from the beginning. The Programme concentrated its efforts initially on capacity building for IPM FFS training in eight major vegetable growing prefectures in Yunnan Province and on three types of vegetable crops (tomato, Chinese cabbage and sugar pea). With the implementation of the programme, the vegetable crops covered in FFS have been extended to lettuce, broccoli, capsicum, pumpkin, squash, cauliflower, garlic, cucumber, potato, watermelon and cherry tomato etc. In Guangxi province the IPM-FFS training programme is now operational in 8 prefectures, 22 counties, covering a variety of different crops, including rice, vegetables and fruit trees. In general, FFS Farmers have reduced 30-50% pesticide sprays and in particular highly toxic pesticides and gained 10-20% higher net returns as a result of new knowledge gained through participation in season-long FFS.

During the 2003-2010 period, the FAO Regional IPM Programme provided technical assistance to government-supported vegetable IPM training activities in other provinces (Sichuan, Shandong, Beijing, Shandong, Hebei and Shanghai).. Assistance was also provided to other international funded projects such as the World Bank- funded Anning Valley Project in Panzhihua and Liangshan, Sichuan province, GTZ- funded “Environmental Strategies of Intensive Agriculture in the North of China” Project, the CIDA-funded “Agriculture and Agri-food” Project in Western China, FAO TCP “Enhancing food security and improving livelihoods in concert with environmental protection for farmers and herders in poverty-stricken ethnic minority areas of Western Sichuan Province”, FAO TCP “ Applied Research on Integrated Pest Management Technology of Actinidia Root-Rot in Guangxi” and EU/ FAO/China “Model Development and Capacity building for Agrobiodiversity Innovation and System Management”.

During the 2003-2010 period, the FAO programme contributed about US$ 600,000 for supporting training activities in Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces. National and local governments have provided US$ 316,000 to support local FFS activities. On national level, a total of more than 150,000 farmers have received IPM training, having significant positive impact on pesticide risk reduction, farmer’s profits, food safety, environmental and human health improvement and agro-biodiversity conservation.

The National IPM Programme is led by the National Agriculture-Technical Extension and Service Centre, Ministry of Agriculture (NATESC, MOA) in Beijing which co-ordinates the IPM activities in the country. IPM-FFS activities are implemented through provincial, prefecture and country Plant Protection Services.

For more information about IPM in China

For more information about China, click (http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/index.asp?lang=en&ISO3=CHN)

Useful website references:
http://un.org.cn/cms/p/resources/30/1316/content.html
http://english.agri.gov.cn/