The member states of the EU Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) have voted to ban the fungicide, Chlorothalonil.
Chlorothalonil is a broad-spectrum fungicide used in the control of plant diseases, with other uses as a pesticide and acaricide to control bacteria and algae. Currently, it plays an important role in the control of diseases in the Irish cereal sector.
It is also part of a strategy to combat resistance in disease control programs to support the chemistry used.
In a statement, a spokesman for the commission said: “The proposal of the commission for a non-renewal of chlorothalonil submitted to member states was endorsed by the member states.
“The proposal is based on the scientific evaluation of the EFSA [European Food Safety Authority] which concluded that the approval criteria do not seem to be met for a wide range of reasons.
“There are also serious environmental concerns, in particular, high risks are identified for fish and amphibians and there are major concerns regarding contamination of groundwater by metabolites of the substance,” the statement concluded.
In recent months, farmers and experts in the field have expressed serious concerns about the implications of a ban on the product for the production of Irish grains.
Bravo plays an essential role in the control of ramularia in barley, which is a fairly common disease in Ireland and is caused by the continuous moisture in the leaves of the plant in the extension of the stem.
It also plays an important role in the control of septoria over wheat.
Speaking about a recent episode of FarmLand, Mairead McGuinness, the first vice president of the European Parliament, described the challenges posed by the ban on agrochemicals.
“I know that grain farmers will find it very difficult to deal with this if they take it out of the market; but there were concerns about aquatic life and human health. ”
“More and more when it comes to agrochemicals, we talk about sustainable use and, in some cases, based on new tests.”
