Emphasis on the word
illegal
T
he recent killing of bees in the
Constantia area of the Western Cape
has received widespread media
coverage, and rightfully so. The bees,
reportedly in the millions, were lethally
affected by an illegal mixture of a Fipronil
based pesticide with molasses, intended to
control ants.
It might be easy to overlook the word illegal
in the abovementioned sentence, especially
when elements such as millions of dead bees
tend to carry much greater emotional and
attention-grabbing weight, however this is
a fundamental aspect of pesticide use that
is often disregarded. For those who may
not know, the application of any pesticide,
whether commercial or household, must
follow the label instructions to the tee. The off-
label use, as well as the acquisition, disposal
or sale of an agricultural remedy for a purpose
or in a manner other than that specified on
the label is illegal as per Regulation No. R1716
of 26 July 1991 under Act No. 36 of 1947.
Pesticides are registered under the Fertilizers,
Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock
Remedies Act, 1947 (Act No. 36 of 1947) after
a rigorous review of the product’s toxicology.
For public peace of mind, it must also be
noted that a product is only registered once
comprehensive efficacy, residue, stability
and plant compatibility studies have been
submitted, reviewed and approved. Only once
the Registrar of Act No. 36 of 1947 is satisfied
that the label directed use of the product will
not pose an unacceptable risk to human and
environmental health, will registration be
granted.
AgriKultuur |AgriCulture
It goes without saying that there is a very
good reason that these agricultural remedies,
which are crucial for effective agricultural
production, must comply with such rigorous
standards, including specific directions for use,
as non-compliance can have severe adverse
effects on human or environmental health,
as is evident in the recent bee mortality in the
Western Cape.
CropLife South Africa will use all the
avenues at its disposal to eradicate off-label
recommendations, sales and use of pesticides
as it not only jeopardises human and
environmental health but also compromises
food safety. To this end, CropLife drives
arguably one of the most powerful agricultural
information tools currently available, AgriIntel,
which contains the label information of
every single registered agricultural remedy
in South Africa. It is strongly advisable for
anyone involved in the application or sale of
agricultural remedies to consult the website
www.agri-intel.com to validate the label
information.
It must be emphasised that each participant in
the agricultural value chain, from researcher
to consumer, has a responsibility and part to
play in environmental stewardship. We urge
members of the public to get in touch with
CropLife South Africa, should they have any
concerns in this regard.
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