Recently, MOFCOM printed and distributed Notice on the Implementation of Marketing Standards for Farm Produce (Market System Development, No. 42, 2011), in an effort to implement marketing standards for seven farm produce, including Cucumber.

According to the notice, it is necessary to understand the great significance of implementing Marketing Standards for Farm Produce, enhance understanding on such standards and promote standardization. The marketing standardization of agricultural produce is an important part of modern circulation system of agricultural products, and is the basis to achieve the modernization of agricultural product transaction. The implementation of the standards not only helps promote grading of the products, package standardization and brand management, so as to improve the efficiency of agricultural product circulation, and promote the development of the market and the circulation, helping to establish the tracking system to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products, but also helps to develop high quality of agricultural products with competitive price, facilitating agricultural structure adjustment and the optimization of product structure, so as to increase income of farmers. Commercial departments of the pilot provinces and municipalities of modern circulation of agricultural products, as well as cities with pilot tracking system on vegetables and meat (hereinafter referred to as "pilot provinces and cities"), should organize sponsors of the pilot program to study the regulations, on the basis of an accurate grasp of grading, packaging, branding and distribution, so as to better implement the regulations.

The notice states that it is necessary to strengthen policy guidance, and to establish a mechanism for implementing the standards which should be regarded as an important work in pilot provinces and municipalities under the framework where the mayors are responsible for the "shopping baskets". Commercial departments of pilot provinces and municipalities should work with authorities of finance and quality & technology supervision to formulate implementation plan for the promotion of the regulations, guiding enterprises in the implementation, and strengthening support to them. Experts shall be invited to assess implementation effect, and the role of industrial associations shall be given full play as a bridge in guiding the implementation of the standards.

MOFCOM released, on December 2010, marketing standards for seven farm produce, including Marketing Standards for Cucumbers, Marketing Standards for Table Potatoes, Marketing Standards for Tomatoes, Marketing Standards for Green Peppers, Marketing Standards for Onions, Marketing Standards for Cowpeas, Marketing Standards for Winter Melon.

(All information published on this website is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only.)