NEWS
IN THE NEWS
Affairs (DEFRA) following the 2005 strong commitment to compliance with review its legislation in consultation year’s US action on nine time-limited
Hampton Review report. The Hampton its regulations,” the USDA’s Animal and with the other states. Western Australia, uses of the ai.
review of inspection and enforcement Plant Health Inspection Service states. Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory
recommended that the government also have GM crop moratoriums in place. n Farmer debts to agrochemical
should consider merging smaller n The US EPA has issued a cancellation companies in Brazil total RUS$2,100
regulatory bodies into larger thematic order for the last remaining minor- n The Australian Pesticides and million (US$1,170 million), a study from
regulators. use registrations of Syngenta’s Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) the Brazilian agrochemical trade union,
herbicide,Tough (pyridate). The has raised concerns over the continued the Sindag, found. The amount accounts
n The UK needs to encourage company requested the move earlier use of the herbicide, atrazine, on for unpaid purchases from the 2004/05
genetically modified crop technology this year (Agrow No 518, p 14). Most triazinetolerant canola in high-rainfall and 2005/06 seasons. Low farmer
or face a research, development and pyridate approvals were cancelled areas of southern Australia. The incomes in the past two seasons led
technology backlog, the plant science voluntarily in 2004, but special local APVMA believes that post-emergence to non-payments in Brazil. The Bank of
research group, the National Institute need registrations for mint continued in applications of atrazine on raised bed Brazil has set up credit lines to facilitate
for Agricultural Botany (NIAB) warns. eight states. This use will be allowed to crops result in run-off at levels that prompter payments.
“Unless we grasp the technology and continue until stocks are exhausted. may be potentially harmful to the
have confidence in the regulatory environment. n Six of 12 Nicaraguan banana farmers
system, then we will go through a n The US EPA’s Office of Pesticide have won a US court case against the
huge innovation bottleneck where Programs (OPP) has scheduled n The average price of agricultural food supplier, Dole, and Dow AgroSciences
opportunities that have been created registration decisions for ten new chemicals (including fertilisers) imported for the sale and use of the nematicide,
are not going to be exploited,” the NIAB’s active ingredients in fiscal 2008. into Argentina rose by 47% in the first dibromochloropropane (DBCP). The jury
chief executive and director, Professor This is a sharp reduction on the 18 half of 2007 against the same period last at the Los Angeles Superior Court in
Wayne Powell, says. decisions for new ais or tolerances year. Prices for domestic products were California awarded damages of US$3.3
originally scheduled for fiscal 2007, but down by 13.1%. The Buenos Aires regional million to compensate the workers for
REST OF WORLD is of a similar order to the 12 approval government published the figures, sterilization following exposure to the
decisions actually made during the year citing a report from a market research pesticide in the 1970s. The principal part
n The US EPA has scheduled a four- company, the IES. It says that prices of of the award was against Dole.
day meeting to review the science imports rose due to higher demand for
surrounding its planned phase-out of herbicides from US suppliers following n The Indian Central Information
the N-methyl carbamate insecticide/ the expansion of the maize area for the Commission (CIC) has issued notice
nematicide, carbofuran . It plans to new season. Imports rose by 34.4% to to the Department of Biotechnology
select 12-15 scientists to serve on its US$596.2 million, the government says. (DBT) to make public within 20 working
FIFRA [Federal Insecticide, Fungicide Higher international prices, up by 31.6%, days biosafety information about field
and Rodenticide Act] Scientific Advisory n The Australian state governments accounted for most of the rise. Volumes trials being conducted on genetically
Panel (SAP) on 5-8 February 2008. of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria rose by just 2.1%. modified insectresistant Bt aubergines
have accepted the recommendations (brinjal). Bt brinjal has been developed
n The USDA has reached a US$500,000 of independent review panels to end n The Canadian Pest Management by using target gene cryIAc, isolated
settlement with US horticultural their moratoriums on the cultivation of Regulatory Agency (PMRA) requires from Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki
products company Scotts (Marysville, genetically modified food crops early interim risk mitigation measures for the (B.t.k.) strain HD 73 with nptII (neomycin
Ohio) over regulatory compliance next year. Farming and industry groups organophosphate insecticide, phosmet, phosphotransferase II) as marker gene.
infractions involving genetically have welcomed the moves and urged pending the completion of the review of The field trials began in August after
modified turfgrass. The US$500,000 similar action by the South Australia the active ingredient. The move comes approval was granted by the Indian
fine is the largest permitted under the government. In 2006, South Australia in response to comments submitted Genetic Engineering Approval Committee
Plant Protection Act. “This is a severe extended its three-year moratorium to after the PMRA proposed the continuing to Monsanto’s Indian joint venture
civil penalty and underscores USDA’s April 2008 and accepted the need to registration of phosmet in 2004 and this partner, Mahyco.
www.agrow.com • January 2008
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