Horticulture New Zealand has called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow for an 'in the tool box' approach to a proposed ban and phase-out of more than 20 insectides, in case the country is threatened by biosecurity pests or disease incursions.

Peter Silcock

HortNZ chief executive Peter Silcock told www.freshfruitportal.com the industry body had been working with the EPA since the first compound was scheduled for review in 2010.

"This involvement has meant that the assessment made by EPA takes into account critical uses and benefits of the use of the compounds and the outcomes appear generally acceptable to horticulture," he said.

He said the organophosphate and carbamate-based insecticides were used on a wide range of fruits and vegetables for a wide range of pests, and one of the reasons they were used was to limit the number of insecticides needed for control.

"Of the 29 products on the EPA’s list, New Zealand’s horticulture and arable sectors are really only concerned with about 14," he said.

"Some of them have been around for a long time and are not used widely.  Chlorpyrifos, pirimicarb, diazinon and dichlorvos are used by the widest range of growers, and of these, diazinon and dichlorvos are proposed for phaseout so their removal will have the widest effect."

The EPA has recommended removing approvals for 12 pesticides and phasing out nine chemicals over the next 3-10 years. The government agency is now receiving public submissions and will hold hearings in March 2013 before a final decision in June.

Silcock said the phase-out timing was important as in some cases there wouldn't be any obvious alternatives for the insecticides under review.

"Even if there are other alternative products available internationally, it may take some time to get those products into New Zealand.

"It also takes time to establish good orchard and on-farm practices when using new products, so there is extra cost involved for growers in changing their systems.

"For some of the compounds under review like fenamiphos, there are no alternatives currently available in New Zealand or internationally and a longer phase-out period than recommended by the EPA will be required to allow alternatives to be developed and registered."

www.freshfruitportal.com