The agricultural sector and the salt sector have different views on what is "feed additive sodium chloride" and what is "salt".

(Author: Southern Weekend reporter Lu Southern Weekend Intern Sun Ran)

The "feed additive sodium chloride" campaign was staged in many places in China, especially in Henan. Additives recognized as legal by the agricultural department were seized by the salt industry department, and even some enterprises were suspected of criminal responsibility. In the eyes of these two departments, "salt" is interpreted as two different items in national standards and regulations.

Behind the competition for profits by departments is the circuitous strategy of enterprises under the monopoly of salt industry. Enterprises have been running for several months. Who has the right to control whether sodium chloride is salt or not? We are still waiting for the answer.

Zhao Yongliang, a businessman from Henan, reported his situation. After 40 tons of goods were seized, he angrily picked up the phone and directly called the office of the head of the Salt Administration Department of Xinxiang Salt Administration Bureau: "I still have goods here. Do you want to check it? "

In the definition of agriculture and animal husbandry, this batch of goods is called "feed additive sodium chloride", but in the view of salt industry, it should be called "salt", which belongs to its own monopoly products.

Behind the competition for profits by departments is the circuitous strategy of enterprises under the monopoly of salt industry.

Zhao Yongliang is the agent. Before purchasing, he repeatedly confirmed the legality of this batch of feed additive sodium chloride, and even had a "Fang Shangjian" of the General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture.

This reply, which is widely circulated in the feed industry, shows that the Ministry of Agriculture has verified that "the feed-grade sodium chloride products sold by (the company represented by Zhao Yongliang) belong to feed additives, and the product approval number has been obtained according to law, which can be used for feed production". The feed company "purchased and used this product in compliance with the Regulations on the Administration of Feed and Feed Additives and related regulations".

Careful preparation is aimed at the salt monopoly management department. Before him, many businessmen were severely punished by the salt industry for selling "feed additive sodium chloride".

In order to eliminate the last risk, Zhao Yongliang even asked the Henan Provincial Animal Husbandry Bureau for instructions. It was not until he got a written reply from "legal products" that he put down his concerns and decided to go all out.

However, he was disarmed before he opened the business-40 tons of "feed additive sodium chloride" had not been transported into the customer's factory door, and the law enforcement officers of huixian city Salt Administration surrounded him.

The confiscation fine was nearly 6.5438+0.3 million yuan, and even 0.5 tons of "feed additive sodium chloride" reported by Zhao Yongliang himself was detained.

This is not an isolated case, nor is it the private law of Xinxiang. In front of the big cake of feed salt, the two major departments of agriculture and salt industry have been at war, and there are many controversies in the country. As a big feed province, Henan is particularly struggling.

Hand-to-hand combat, not an inch of land.

The conflict was fierce from the beginning. The answer to the scientific question "Is sodium chloride salt?" in middle school textbooks is becoming more and more complicated.

It should be June 1, 20 14. Zhao Yongliang recalled that he came to a local feed enterprise with various certificates for promotion. However, the person in charge of the feed company is not at ease. They called a deputy director of the Feed Office of huixian city Animal Husbandry Bureau and a deputy director of the Salt Industry Bureau to ask if it was legal.

"Who is selling salt?" The deputy director of the Salt Bureau asked loudly as soon as he entered the door. "I said that I am not selling salt, but selling feed additive sodium chloride, which is a feed raw material." Zhao Yongliang's memory of Southern Weekend reporters.

But the director didn't give in. "He said that as long as the sodium chloride content reaches 60%, it is salt."

In order to debate whether sodium chloride is salt or not, officials of the two competent departments were once flushed. "The leaders of the Animal Husbandry Bureau who first arrived at the beginning clearly replied that the sodium chloride certificate of feed additive was complete and completely legal." An executive of this feed enterprise told Southern Weekend reporter, but the deputy director of Huixian Salt Bureau later gave a clear answer in three words: it cannot be used. The reason for the prohibition is the Regulations on the Administration of Salt Industry.

The louder their voices are, the louder their voices are. "We have our rules to use." Animal husbandry officials said. The deputy director of the Salt Bureau retorted that selling more than 20 tons of smuggled salt is a criminal offence: "If he goes to jail, can you afford this responsibility?"

Zhao Yongliang also moved out of the "lens" of the Ministry of Agriculture. Deputy director of the fire, "manager zhao, you have the ability to send twenty tons of goods to try? I let you go that day and handed it over to the public security organs. "

Both sides are gambling. On June 6, 40 tons of goods arrived at the door of the feed enterprise. Immediately stopped at the door by law enforcement officers of the Salt Bureau, all detained. The Salt Bureau also reported to the police and wanted to take compulsory measures against Zhao Yongliang. However, the public security organs finally failed to take action.

Also threatened by criminal responsibility are feed enterprises in xinzheng city, Henan. Senior officials of Henan Xiong Feng Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Henan Xiong Feng) told Southern Weekend reporter that as early as April 20 14, the xinzheng city municipal government explicitly requested to prevent illegal salt from being used as "salt for animal husbandry", and the municipal public security bureau filed a case for investigation if it was suspected of constituting a crime.

Xinzheng Sub-branch of Xiong Feng City, Henan Province was therefore investigated. On July 3rd, when xinzheng city Salt Bureau came to inspect the company, feed additive sodium chloride was found in the warehouse. We have issued relevant legal documents, but the staff of the Salt Bureau do not recognize the laws and regulations of the animal husbandry industry.

However, more feed companies surveyed refused to be interviewed. "Inconvenient." The person in charge of Xinxiang Dabeinong Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Dabeinong Group, a famous feed enterprise, refused to say on the phone.

National standards are fragmented.

In Xinxiang, huixian city Salt Bureau then entrusted the National Light Industry Well Salt Quality Supervision and Testing Center to test the seized feed additive sodium chloride samples. The appraisal conclusion is that according to the national standard GB/T 2 15 1-2008, it is judged as unqualified salt for animal husbandry.

Zhao Yongliang was indignant at this. The above is the national standard of salt for animal husbandry, but the production of feed additive sodium chloride is based on another national standard GB/T 23880-2009. "I am not produced according to this national standard. How can you test according to this national standard? This is irrelevant. "

"Feed additive sodium chloride is not salt for animal husbandry." Zhao Yongliang looked through the previous documents of the Ministry of Agriculture, and found that there were obvious differences among the three standard control indicators of feed-grade sodium chloride, salt and animal husbandry salt: compared with the salt standard, the feed-grade sodium chloride standard added three indicators of mercury, cadmium and nitrite, while the feed-grade additive standard did not contain iodine, and the salt and animal husbandry salt had clear provisions on iodine content.

"Feed mainly adds chloride ion and sodium ion." Zhang Shichang, director of Xiong Feng Animal Nutrition Center, said that excessive iodine content will have a negative impact on animal breeding.

"Replacing feed additive iodine-free sodium chloride with iodized salt or animal husbandry salt will not only increase the production cost of feed enterprises, but also weaken the balanced supply of trace elements in feed, forcing feed enterprises to spend more money to do illegal things and produce products with lower quality and safety level, and ultimately damage the rights and interests of consumers." Previously, the Ministry of Agriculture rarely publicly criticized this.

Zou Jialai, a Shanghai lawyer who is famous for acting as an agent in administrative litigation of salt industry, told Southern Weekend reporter that he concluded that there are at least 17 differences between sodium chloride and salt. Among them, the administrative departments are also different. Feed-grade sodium chloride belongs to the agricultural sector, while livestock salt belongs to the salt sector.

However, Liu Jianguo, director of the Salt Affairs Department of Henan Salt Administration Bureau, did not agree with this. "Sodium chloride is not salt. Isn't this a big joke?" Liu Jianguo asked, whether according to the Encyclopedia Britannica or the Oxford English-Chinese Dictionary, all scientific explanations point to "sodium chloride is salt and edible salt."

"The punishment is still to be punished. We are not beyond the scope authorized by law." Liu Jianguo said that under the condition that the existing salt monopoly law has not changed, "if we don't enforce the law, we will have problems, which is considered as dereliction of duty".

As for the problem that salt for livestock threatens iodine safety, he drew the attention of Southern Weekend reporter to another statement in China Feed Additives. This magazine, sponsored by the Feed Additives Professional Committee of China Feed Industry Association, once published a scientific paper entitled Mineral Element Feed Additives-Sodium Chloride, pointing out that domestic animals should also be fed iodized sodium chloride in iodine-deficient areas. "Mix potassium iodide in sodium chloride ... If the coordination is uneven, it will cause iodine poisoning."

A circuitous plan under monopoly profiteering

"At this price, all our enterprises don't want to buy their salt." A general manager of a feed company who asked not to be named said, "Their monopoly price is too high."

Wang, manager of Henan purchasing department, confirmed this. He told the Southern Weekend reporter that if you buy salt for animal husbandry from a salt company, the price is similar to that of salt, and the unified price stipulated by the state is 10 13 yuan/ton. Previously, the feed additive sodium chloride seized by their company was only 780 yuan.

According to the company's consumption of 80 tons a month, it can save about 1.6 million yuan per month. This is undoubtedly a huge expense for the feed premix industry whose profit margin is between 1%-3%.

According to the regulations of the salt industry department, the salt with more than 60% sodium chloride content belongs to the franchise scope of salt. In order to bypass control and reduce costs, some feed enterprises have to find another way.

"We will adopt a flexible way to buy sodium chloride products with a content below 60%, as long as three or four hundred yuan/ton." A general manager of a feed enterprise who asked not to be named told Southern Weekend reporter, "100% of two tons (sodium chloride content) is more than 600 yuan, while the price of the salt bureau is more than 1000 yuan, a difference of four or five hundred yuan."

But after all, it is inconvenient to use, and the law enforcement sword of the Salt Bureau has been hanging overhead. "If you don't want to buy them, they can't. They have the right to enforce the law. " The general manager said that during the short-term purchase of low-content sodium chloride products, the salt bureau came to check several times almost every month, and the company finally had to resume buying from the salt bureau.

Not only in Henan, but also in other places, the price difference is equally wide. Lin Qun, general manager of Haiyan Condiment (Fuzhou) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Haiyan Company), who was investigated and dealt with by salt administration departments all over the country, told Southern Weekend reporter that in Shanghai, the price of sodium chloride as a feed additive of the company is 650 yuan/ton, and salt administration sells 850 yuan; In Hunan, the price of salt bureau is more than 1 100 yuan, and their products only need 500 yuan.

"They must hate us." In Lin Qun's view, the law enforcement of the salt industry department is not for the so-called product safety or health. Their law enforcement purpose is to help their own "two brands and one team" enterprise-Salt Company to sell products.

Shortly after being investigated in Zhao Yongliang, on July 7, 20 14, Henan Salt Administration Bureau launched the "Special Rectification Action for Salt Used by Feed Production Enterprises". The bureau issued a document pointing out that the use of feed additive sodium chloride instead of salt for livestock use violates the provisions of the Salt Franchise Measures, the Regulations on the Administration of Iodine Iodization to Eliminate the Harm of Iodine Deficiency and the Regulations on the Administration of Salt Industry in Henan Province, and stressed that the feed production enterprises in the province will be thoroughly investigated and offenders will be prosecuted.

This has escalated into a close combat between departments. Half a month later, the Henan Provincial Animal Husbandry Bureau sent a letter to the Legislative Affairs Office of the provincial government, requesting the cancellation of the above documents. "(This) seriously violates the Regulations on the Management of Feed and Feed Additives revised and promulgated in February 20 13 in the State Council, which disrupts the normal production and operation order of feed production enterprises and is not conducive to the healthy development of the feed industry in the province."

"This is an unreasonable request. Our law enforcement is well-founded and there is no violation of the law. " In this regard, Liu Jianguo, director of the Salt Administration Department of Henan Salt Administration Bureau, said.

According to the above management regulations, only "sodium chloride" is a legal product in the Catalogue of Feed Additives.

According to the labeling requirements of the national standard of Feed Labeling implemented on July 1 2065438, what needs to be labeled is "sodium chloride". "If the feed label is not up to standard, it will be punished." Zhang Wenqiang, chief of feed department of Xinxiang Animal Husbandry Bureau, smiled.

"Why should feed enterprises spend more money on things that do not meet the requirements of the feed industry?" Zhao Yongliang questioned.

Under the influence of Yu Wei, more and more enterprises continue to choose to buy "grazing salt" from Salt Bureau. "The agricultural department did not clearly stand up and deny the other party's law enforcement power, and the superiors did not coordinate and solve it. Before reaching a conclusion, our company can't stand the toss. " A feed enterprise executive said.

National encirclement and suppression, the enterprise wrote

The internal meeting held by the Ministry of Agriculture in Beijing on July 20 14 has spread all over the industry. "The directors of feed offices, feed enterprises, additive sodium chloride production enterprises and legal experts from eight feed provinces all participated." A boss of a feed enterprise who attended an internal meeting told Southern Weekend reporter.

The national conference was held precisely because it was a nationwide encirclement and suppression campaign. Lin Qun was deeply moved by this. Except for Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Liaoning and Guangxi were almost wiped out. "The whole country has probably been detained 1000 tons."

Henan province is not the only province to start the stock of feed additive sodium chloride. In Guangxi, Guigang Wanqian Feed Co., Ltd. was punished by Guigang Salt Administration Bureau for the same reason, and Wanqian Feed Company subsequently filed an administrative lawsuit.

This once attracted the attention of people in the industry. 20 14 05 16 Guigang intermediate people's court made a final judgment, reconfirming the legality of the administrative punishment imposed by Guigang Salt Administration Bureau on the feed company.

"This has inspired Henan and other places." A salt industry system person who asked for anonymity told Southern Weekend reporter. Previously, the salt industry system has been watching nervously. However, after the verdict was issued, the Henan salt industry system began to investigate special actions, and the verdict of Guigang case was found in every county bureau.

According to the incomplete statistics of Henan Animal Husbandry Bureau, the salt industry department recently investigated more than 30 feed production enterprises, and seized more than 0/000 tons of feed additive sodium chloride/kloc-.

Physical conflicts occurred during the investigation. Industry insiders told Southern Weekend reporter that Henan Harmony (Group) Feed Co., Ltd., which was detained with 35 1 ton of feed additive sodium chloride, was the only enterprise in Henan with the qualification to produce feed additive sodium chloride. On July 8, Zhengzhou Salt Administration dispatched more than 80 law enforcement officers, and encountered fierce resistance when sealing up products.

Until 2: 30 the next morning, 237 tons of raw materials labeled as "feed additive sodium chloride" were finally seized. Afterwards, the incident once alarmed the provincial leaders.

"Sometimes leadership coordination is useless." Lin Qun said that on April 30, 2004+2065438, the Legislative Affairs Office of the Liaoning Provincial Government clearly replied that it was a "legal product" when replying to the letter from Haiyan Company. But this did not bring shelter to the forest group. "Feed sodium chloride is salt, and feed salt should be provided by Zheng Zheng Salt Industry Company." The Planning Department of Liaoning Salt Administration Bureau was tough when asked by Southern Weekend reporter.

Lin Qun confirmed that after the reply of the Legislative Affairs Office of Liaoning Province, the salt affairs system in Liaoning Province not only did not stop, but intensified. "Liaoning is one of the provinces where our company has been detained the most."

Across the country, Southern Weekend reporters consulted the salt authorities in Guangxi, Zhejiang, Ningxia and other places, and almost all of them took a strike attitude.

However, the petition submitted by feed enterprises to the Henan provincial government and other units has been issued. The reporter of Southern Weekend saw that the petition headed by Harmony Group was densely covered with the official seals of dozens of feed enterprises in Henan Province.

Gao Xiang, chairman of Henan Harmony Group, has been reluctant to talk about this matter. "Last month, the Ministry of Agriculture organized an internal meeting between the directors of the Feed Office of the Animal Husbandry Bureau of eight provinces and the punished enterprises to start specific coordination, and the provinces also began to coordinate. It is inconvenient to say more now. " Gao Xiang hurriedly hang up the phone.

Although it has been more than two months, the authoritative ruling on sodium chloride and salt has not yet arrived. Who cares if sodium chloride is salt? "We are still waiting for the answer." A feed enterprise executive said.