Chinese police have arrested more than 1,700 suspects in 900 cases since a special campaign launched at the start of this year to crack down on counterfeit and substandard agricultural products, it was announced on Friday.

Police confiscated 12,000 tonnes of counterfeit or substandard seeds, 220,000 tonnes of fertilizer and 220 tonnes of pesticide in the cases, retrieving economic losses worth 300 million yuan (47.22 million U.S. dollars), according to a statement released by the Ministry of Public Security.

"In order to seek higher profits, some unlawful companies and individuals sell shoddy seeds as high-quality ones, and their fertilizer and pesticides lack effective ingredients while containing banned materials, resulting in reduced crop yields or even failed crops," it said.

The statement added that the ministry plans to continue the crackdown, vowing fast investigations, severe punishments for violators and thorough efforts to recover farmers' economic losses.

Meanwhile, the ministry warned farmers to buy products from licensed sellers and inform local police departments of crimes.

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