Producers of machines used in agriculture shall recall defective products, said a regulation published by the State Council Thursday.

The regulation aims to ensure operators' safety, said an official with the Department of Agriculture Mechanization Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture.

China faces a tough safety situation with regard to machines used in agriculture, the official said.

China reported 58,000 accidents related to defective products in the agriculture sector from 2004 to 2008, which killed 16,700 people, injured a further 51,500 and led to 163 million yuan (23.87 million U.S. dollars) in losses.

Machines in agriculture use include tractors, reaping machines, rice seedling planting machines, threshers and hay cutters among others, the regulation says.

The new regulation will take effect on Nov. 1.

Source: Xinhua