Australian farmers warned the misuse of pesticides will see overseas markets turn away
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-07-26/chemicals-on-crops-jeopardise-export-markets/11270722
An industry group is warning farmers that they are jeopardising overseas markets by breaching maximum residue levels, resulting in too much chemical found on the end product.
The European Commission describes a maximum residue level (MRL) “as the highest level of a pesticide residue that is legally tolerated in or on food or feed when pesticides are applied correctly”.
It is not just grain crops that have MRLs.
All products from fruit and vegetable crops to meat can have traces of pesticides.
Paul McIntosh from Pulse Australia and the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative said while Australia had a 98.5 per cent to 99 per cent compliance rate, it was the 1 per cent that were causing disruptions.
“It’s a big issue and it’s really starting to impact on some of our export markets, particularly for our pulse crops overseas,” Mr McIntosh said.
“The issue is we are getting picked up on [being over] our MRLs … particularly with our chickpeas and our mung beans.
“We can’t afford that 1 or 1.5 per cent, we need to get it perfect, we need to be 100 per cent now.
“If we don’t change and the crops go overseas — our clean and green image is going to be severely damaged and we are going to restrict markets.
“We’ve got markets at stake, so we need to be right on the ball for all our applications of pesticides.”
Farmer fined for alleged misuse of pesticides
The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) recently fined a farmer for the alleged incorrect use of pesticides on stored barley grain.
Doolin Farming at North Star was fined $3,500 after the EPA was alerted to elevated phosphine residues in a delivery to Graincorp in Queensland.
In a written statement the EPA said “it is alleged the barley grower had not complied with several requirements relating to the use of pesticides — including that the farmer was not following the directions for use on the pesticide labels, did not hold a current accreditation to use pesticide and did not make a record of the application of the pesticide.”
Srinivas Boyapalli is the Trading and Export Manager for Olam Australia, a company which exports pulses, chickpeas, fava beans, mung beans and lentils.
Mr Boyapalli said the current attention on glyphosate meant countries were taking extra notice of maximum residue levels.
“We have seen one particular issue last year with lentils, which went to India,” he said.
“The importer tested the product and it came out with a glyphosate residue limit [breach] and it was reported to the government, and then the government said the cargo had to be returned or dumped.
“It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to take back [or dump] rejected cargo.”
Calls for standardised maximum residue levels to make trade easier
However, Mr Boyapalli explained this incident was particularly difficult because India did not have a clear MRL set for glyphosate.
“When they don’t have a maximum residue level it defaults to zero,” he said.
“If it reverts back to zero tolerance it cuts out the trade … when our growers are using glyphosate here to control the weeds.”
Most countries set their own MRL, making it difficult for marketers with the levels constantly changing.
Mr Boyapalli said there is a push for each country to set a standard MRL to make it clear for agricultural marketers.
“Global Pulse Confederation (GPC) is the peak global body and it is working with all countries to have a standardised MRL,” he said.
“GPC [is also] lobbying governments and the United Nations body to accept the minimum residue level limits for all pulse commodities.
“It would be much easier for the trade because if we are sending lentils to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh — it should be the same and it would be easy to follow and easy to explain to growers what the limits are.
“If countries have their own it will be very tough to understand them all and they are frequently changing — so we need harmonised MRL’s all over the globe so that everybody is clear and trade is clear.”
In the meantime, because countries have different MRLs, there are options for Australian farmers if their product breaches an MRL for one country.
Mr McIntosh said that is why farmers need to fill in their statutory declaration honestly.
“You need to tell the truth so your marketer can make some good judgements about where your product with that particular pesticide can go,” he said.
“Once they know about it, it makes it a whole lot easier to do some marketing overseas and see what the penalties might be.
“So it’s still a good idea to do everything absolutely correctly, but if you do get something wrong — tell the truth.”
Not using chemical not a solution
While some people would be concerned that products such as pulses have traces chemical residue in them, Mr Boyapalli said going organic is not necessarily the answer.
“Some people would like our all our farmers to go organic but I don’t think this is possible at this point of time,” he said.
“At this stage there is no other option, they have to use chemicals, but in a responsible and sustainable way.
“If farmers stop using chemical, will consumers accept weevils in their products?
“I think if everybody is responsible and does things in a sustainable way, I don’t think any big issues will arise.
“In general Australian farmers are very tech-savvy — they are sustainable farmers, they know and operate under the rules.”