The Ministry of Agriculture said on Tuesday the cash incentive could be claimed by Chinese nationals or foreigners who have information about such products being manufactured and marketed.

A special anti-counterfeiting committee has been set up to study the information and decide on rewards according to their contribution in solving such cases, division chief Zhang Tianzuo said at a news briefing in Beijing.

Agricultural materials in the spotlight include farm chemicals, fertilizers, seeds, feeds and feed additives, veterinary medicines, and agricultural machinery.

Under no circumstances will the identities of people who provide information to the ministry be divulged, Zhang said.

The offer was made at a time when China is intensifying its drive against counterfeiting of agricultural production materials, which Vice-Minister Fan Xiaojian said impaired the interests of farmers and food safety.

Analysts said the move will be viewed positively by foreign companies investing in China's agricultural sector as fewer fakes will be produced that undermine sales and damage the reputation of their products in China.

The ministry revealed it had confiscated 15,000 tons of fake seeds last year.

Between January and June this year, the nationwide anti-counterfeiting campaign had ferreted out fake agricultural materials valued at 900 million yuan (US$108 million), vice-minister Fan said on Tuesday.

More than 2,700 outlets have been destroyed by the ministry in partnership with industry and commerce agencies during the first half of the year. Vendors who made and sold such bogus products during this period were punished, he said.

He pledged that China will not halt its crackdown on fake and shoddy agricultural production materials until they are driven out of the market entirely.

The ministry's anti-counterfeiting hotlines are 010-64192810, 010-64192079.

(China Daily August 21, 2002)