Peru declares phytosanitary alert over threat of Fusarium oxysporum

The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Peru (MINAGRI) declared a phytosanitary alert to prevent the entry of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cuban Race 4 Tropical (FocR4T), one of the most devastating pests that could affect more…

Locust attack: Excessive pesticide use will take its toll on Thar ecology

The strongest pesticides used to counter locust invasions will leech into waterbodies and crops, say experts. Lethal pesticides used to counter locust swarms invading the Indian side of the Thar desert will irrevocablly harm the fragile desert…

Canada determines to continue registration of uniconazole-P

Health Canada has completed the re-evaluation of plant growth regulator uniconazole-P. Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada has determined that continued registration of products containing uniconazole-P is acceptable.…

French Constitutional Council ratifies pesticides export ban

The Constitutional Council of France on January 31 ratified the legal veto on the production, storage, circulation and export of products containing active substances that have not been approved by the European Union (EU). The ruling resulted…

European Commission bans Romania and Lithuania from using bee-killing pesticides

The European Commission (EC) adopted on Monday, February 3, two decisions that prohibit Romania and Lithuania from allowing their farmers to use pesticides that are harmful to bees. The EC’s decision came two weeks after Romania’s Agriculture…

New Zealand EPA reviewing PGR hydrogen cyanamide rules

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is initiating a reassessment of the plant growth regulator hydrogen cyanamide, and is now seeking information on how and where it is being used in New Zealand. Hydrogen cyanamide products are used…

Xinjiang still China's largest cotton producer in 2019

Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China continued to be the country's largest cotton production base in 2019, despite a year-on-year output reduction of 2.1 percent. The region's cotton output reached more than 5 million metric…

Locust swarms threaten more countries in eastern Africa – FAO

Swarms of desert locusts could ravage more countries in eastern Africa and threaten the livelihood of many more people, the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said on Monday. The swarms, first sighted in December,…

Brazilian fruit exports reach US$1 billion for the first time

Brazil closed 2019 for the first time, with US$1 billion in fruit exports, according to information from the Ministry of Agriculture's (AgroStat) foreign trade statistics system. According to the National Supply Company (Conab), this scenario…