Rural consumers' rights must be protected

Urban consumers complained about their problems on March 15, the Consumers' Rights Day in China, but authorities should also pay more attention to rural consumers' rights, says an article in the Nanfang Daily. Excerpts:

Rural consumers' rights deserve more attention from the media and relevant authorities in the industrial and commercial administrations.

First, law enforcement agencies are not well established in the wide rural marketplace. As a result, it's difficult for rural consumers to defend their rights and it's easy for low-level, or even illegal, companies to survive in rural markets.

Second, seeds, pesticides and chemical fertilizers are not common commodities like instant noodles, shampoos or candy. If farmers buy shoddy seeds, pesticides and chemical fertilizers, their losses are much higher than the value of these commodities. So authorities need to distinguish between agricultural materials and other common commodities and pay special attention to protect the rural consumers' rights.

Third, media and social organizations should raise farmers' awareness of their legal rights as consumers. The law enforcement agencies must prove to the farmers that all the illegal companies will be punished for real.