RE: Growing conditions

[Guest guest]

 

pemachophel2001 [pemachophel2001]

They are creating standards for the growing of each of 300-500 herbs,

including seed sources and lineages, geographic locations, field

siting, soil chemistry, use of pesticides, fertilizers, and

irrigation, harvesting methods, storage methods, methods of

preparation, etc., etc. There was a list of about 20 standards that

each grower of a particular herb had to meet or fall within certain

parameters.

 

Interesting meeting. I have also heard these plans. Yet when you look at

the practicality of implementation, obvious roadblocks appear. A simple

example is the rotation of crops. I've asked a grower I visited whether he

used any night soil or chemicals on the herb crop he was growing and got a

definite " no " on both counts. However after pressing further it turns out

that winter wheat is grown in the off season and " well yes, we do use

chemicals on the winter wheat " . There are countless small farming

operations that come in and out of the herb growing business each year

depending on what the market prices look like they will be. Even the local

herb growing associations cannot monitor what is being done to the soil in

all of these locations, let alone the feds. Additionally, the remnants from

the historical use of agrochemicals remains in the soil for years and, as

you know, in numerous locations pollutants fall out of the sky. The gov't

is aware of these kinds of problems and has come up with a creative

solution. The idea I have heard from (I won't name the source) is to try

relocating farmers to the cities en masse and take over large areas where

cultivation practices can then be harmonized and controlled. A bit like

prescribing a very effective yet highly toxic pharmaceutical drug...

Long-term side effects not well understood.

 

 

Will this system be corruptible? Ren shi ren, people are people.

However, at least on paper it suggests to me a high level of

consciousness about the issues surrounding the standarization and

quality control of Chinese medicinals and medicines. This is a

potentially huge source of revenue for the PRC. So they are well

motivated to try to get it right.

 

That's exactly right. Its economics. It is therefore likely that the crops

that meet higher standards will be earmarked for export markets since it is

the demands of international markets that have instigated the economics of

these higher standards. Wouldn't that suggest negative implications for

Chinese patents?

 

Stephen

 

 

 

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