NEWS
IN THE NEWS
material blocking trade in agricultural is “over 4,000ha”, compared with last technology, while enhancing the market ■ Brazil’s agrochemical prices fell by
commodities, they say. year’s 1,253ha. value of genetically modified products. 12.7% on average in the 12 months to
May 2007, according to the Brazilian
■ Swiss agrochemical sales remained NORTH AMERICA ■ The Canadian Pest Management agrochemical industry trade union, the
steady, with a 0.7% increase to SwFr Regulatory Agency has dismissed a Sindag. Its study of 110 products found
124 million (US$99 million) in 2006, the ■ The US EPA has requested formal call for a special review of 60 pesticide that the price of 96 had dropped.
Swiss chemical industry association, the consultations with the Fish and Wildlife ais. The David Suzuki Foundation
SGCI, said. Growth in fungicide sales was Service to address the potential effects requested the special review last year ■ Argentina is to allow the sale of
partly offset by declines for herbicides of ten pesticides, including acephate, on the grounds that the pesticides have genetically modified glyphosate-tolerant
and insecticides. methomyl and metolachlor, on California been prohibited in one or more OECD GA21 maize for domestic and foreign
red-legged frogs. The Agency has made countries. markets that have no restrictions on the
■ The number of incidents of pesticide the requests following determinations maize. The move comes after Argentina
poisoning of wildlife and domestic that the pesticides are “likely to ■ The Canadian Pest Management banned the GM line along with Syngenta’s
animals in the UK dropped “slightly” in adversely affect” the endangered Regulatory Agency has extended the insect-resistant Bt176 maize earlier this
2006, says the UK government’s Wildlife amphibians. phase-out of the organophosphate year under Resolution 125.
Incident Investigation Scheme. A total of insecticide, azinphos-methyl, until 2012.
390 incidents were reported, compared ■ The US Biotechnology Industry An extended phase-out is required due ■ Argentina received a $20,000 million
with 369 in 2005. Organization has launched an industry to “significant challenges involved in boost from agricultural biotechnology
stewardship programme aimed at transitioning from azinphos-methyl to in the ten years to the end of 2005, the
■ Portugal is growing over three times encouraging best practices in agricultural safer alternatives”, the Agency notes. Argentine biotechnology information
more genetically modified maize this biotechnology. The initiative is aimed at council, the Argenbio, claimed. The sector
year than last, according to the Ministry promoting the responsible management ■ A coalition of US farm worker and also created 1 million jobs, it added.
of Agriculture. This year’s GM maize area and continued expansion of the public interest groups has filed a lawsuit
against the EPA over the re-registration ■ Ecuador is to take Colombia to the
of the organophosphate insecticide, International Court of Justice in the Hague,
chlorpyrifos. The groups claim that the the Netherlands, over pesticide spraying.
Agency had insufficient data to make The Ecuadorian chancellor, Maria Fernanda
its re-registration decision last year and Espinosa, charges Colombia with making
failed to conduct a complete risk/benefit a “toxic bomb” to eradicate coca along the
analysis. countries’ border.
■ The Canadian Pest Management ■ Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen
Regulatory Agency has introduced a Tan Dzung has approved new legislation
new system of pesticide data protection for biosafety controls on genetically
and compensation. The Protection of modified organisms and products. It
Proprietary Interests in Pesticide Data will establish a legal and regulatory
follows the US approach in placing framework on biosafety, set up public
the onus of determining data value information systems and expand
and compensation on the companies biosafety research.
involved.
■ South African farmers are showing
WORLD a high rate of adoption of genetically
modified crops, reports the USDA’s
■ Improved management of insect Foreign Agricultural Service. GM crops
vector control products and the account for 92% of the country’s cotton
development of new active ingredients area, 59% of soybeans and 44% of maize.
to tackle future resistance problems
www.eurofins.com/agroscience-services
are needed, concludes a report by the ■ South African scientists have
• Eurofins | ADME
US Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. developed genetically modified maize
• Eurofins | Agrisearch
The analysis of the vector control sector streak virus-resistant plants. The team
STRONGER
• Eurofins | GAB
found that the market was larger than from the Institute of Infectious Diseases
• Eurofins | Dr. Specht
TOGETHER
originally envisaged but possibly not of the University of Cape Town found
Laboratories
large enough to justify investment by the GM maize to be “highly resistant to
the major agrochemical companies. immune” to the disease.
 October 2007  •   www.agrow.com
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