MAAAP Conference

1
Horticultural Export Produce Without Pesticide
Residues?

• T Mabesa

2
Overview

• Pesticide residues
• Legislation in EU and RSA
• Residues on Exports how big is the problem
• SA PIP
• Questions/Discussion

3
Pesticide residues

• Consumers are told that eating more fresh
  produce is essential for good health
• but
• also told that fresh produce contains excessive
  pesticide residues.
• CONSUMERS Confused and concerned !

4
(No Transcript)
5
Pesticides-l mailing listPesticides-l_at_lists.uct.a
c.zahttps//lists.uct.ac.za/mailman/listinfo/pest
icides-l

• Pesticides found in nearly a third of British
  food and drink products September 29, 2005 Agence
  France Presse LONDON - The Pesticide Residues
  Committee 2004 study was cited as finding that
  traces of pesticide were found in 31 percent of
  the 3,854 British food and drink products tested
  by the government, though there were few cases of
  a serious risk to health. Only 42 products, or
  about one percent of the total, contained
  residues above the legal limit. In cases in which
  the food may have posed a health risk, "there
  could have been a small risk of mild, reversible
  health effects" if the food had been eaten
  without preparation, the report says.
• Doctor Ian Brown, chairman of the Pesticide
  Residues Committee, was cited as saying the
  results of the survey were reassuring, adding,
  "People should not be concerned by very low
  pesticide residues in our food. Our findings
  indicate that food suppliers are ensuring a high
  rate of compliance with legislation relating to
  use of pesticides and maximum residue levels."
  The range of products tested included fruits,
  vegetables, meat, bread and drink from 24 cities
  across the United Kingdom.
• _______________________________________________

6
MRL definition

• Maximum level legally permitted in or on food
• mg/kg ppm
• Set per crop x CPP combination
• Represents maximum amount of residue expected in
  a fruit under a defined GAP
• Trading standard not safety limits

7

• Always set below far below - safety limits (100
  fold or more margin of safety built in)
• Products exported should not exceed MRL of
  importing country

8
MRLs in EU
In the past

• Member States set own national MRL in absence of
  EU MRL
• National MRLs may differ from country to country
  (and from SA MRL)

9
National MRLs in EU
In absence of EU MRL, National MRL applies

0.05mg/kg
4 mg/kg
0.2 mg/kg
10
Example for National MRL

11
Europe

• MRL HARMONISATION based on
• member states and
• review of safety of each MRL

By Elmé Coetzer, EUREP GAP
12
Harmonised EU MRL
Applies to all Member States and takes precedent
over National MRLs

13
Example for harmonised MRL in EU
14
MRL future in EU
FUTURE (End 2008)

• One Regulation where all MRLs will be established
• All pesticide residues monitored and controlled
  at EU level
• Rapid alert system in place

15
Current status in EU
NOW till 2008 (interim phase)

• Some harmonised EU MRLs
• Establishing temporary MRLs
• MRLs of withdrawn actives will fall to LoD (0.01
  mg/kg), thus farmers unable to use many PPPs
• Export default MRLs in RSA

16
Residues on SA Exports

• 46 no residues
• 52 residues MRL
• 2.29 residues gt MRL

• In 2002 - 2004

17
SA PIP

• South African Pesticide Initiative Program
• TRADE DEVELOPMENT program Agriculture
• For the benefit of SA producers
• EU co-funded
• EU residue limits change due to harmonisation.
• Conformance required for market access.
• Different agro-chemicals used due to climate.

18
Objectives Purpose
Measurable Indicators

• Overall Objective

• Maintain access to EU market
• Minimize EU food safety
• impact on RSA economy

No loss of EU market access

• Program Purpose

Compliance with EU legislation

• Assist RSA export producers to
• comply with EU requirements
• Focus on food safety, namely
• chemical residues

19

• Resolve grey area in regulations
• MRL trials
• Knowledge and solutions
• Adaptive research
• MRL task group
• Improve practice
• Train farmers
• Available information

MRL Task Group Study Tour, September 2004
20
Results
Information
Network
Info/Comm.
MRL trials
Ad. Research
Regulation
SA PIP
Identify gaps
Agric. P.
Advice for farmers
Training
Capacity
Survey
Database
21
Stakeholders of SA PIP
Info/Comm.
Regulation
Agric. P.
Capacity
22
Financing Provisions
Info/Comm.
Regulation
Agric. P.
Capacity
23
Governance Structure
24
Thank you for listening !

• Everything is a poison
• Nothing is a poison
• It is the dose that makes the poison
• Paracelsus (15th Century)