NPC deputies from southwest China's Sichuan Province raised a motion several days ago to the current NPC session, urging the enactment of a law, which will help guarantee a healthy development of China's animal husbandry and the safety of animal products.

Wu Jinghua, a member of the NPC Standing Committee and vice-chairman of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee under the NPC, said that the safety of animal products has become an issue of public concern worldwide.

Wu, who signed the aforementioned motion, said that cases of contaminated animal products such as dioxin-contaminated food and mad cow disease have occurred in succession in the world in recent years. In China, some unlawful livestock breeders feed pigs and other domestic animals with additives and inject water into port and chicken.

How to guarantee the safety of fodder and medicine used in raising domestic animals and the safety of animal products in the course of processing is an issue calling for urgent action to be taken, Wu said.

China has rich animal species resources, Wu said, adding many of the rare animal species and gene resources need effective protection and proper utilization.

Statistics show that a dozen livestock and poultry species have vanished and 20 more are on the verge of extinction in China since the early 1980s.

Wu said that China needs a law to streamline the management mechanism and make clear-cut stipulations supporting and protecting the development of animal husbandry, guarantee the legitimate rights and interests of breeders, animal products manufacturers and sellers, so as to maintain a normal order on the animal product market and promote a sustained, healthy and fast development of animal husbandry in China.

At present, more than 30 percent of farmers' income in the country has come from animal husbandry, according to statistics.

(People’s Daily 03/12/2001)