China will ban sales of farm products that fail to meet safety standards starting Nov. 1, said An Jian, deputy director of the Commission of Legislative Affairs of the National People's Congress Standing Committee on Wednesday.

The country's first law on farm product safety goes into effect on Nov. 1, said the official.

An said the law will play a key role in ensuring farm product safety, preserving public health and promoting the development of agriculture and the rural economy.

The law will establish a farm product safety supervision and management system as well as a farm product source registration system to ensure the country's food safety, he said.

A farm product safety risk analysis and appraisal system and an identification system for high quality, pesticide-free farm products will also be set up.

Those who fail to observe the farm product safety law will be punished, he said.

An said that, if firmly applied, the new regulations will guarantee China's farm product safety.

(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2006)