This summer there will be discussions in a European context about a temporary MRL (maximum residue limit) for chlorpropham. At the moment there is no assumption that it will not come. For example, the Germination Inhibition Taskforce will let you know if requested.
Within the Germ Inhibition Task Force, chain parties (cultivation, trade and processing), under the leadership of BO Akkerbouw, are jointly looking for solutions to the impending emergency surrounding chlorpropham (CIPC). Since January 1, a European ban on the germination inhibitor.
The expiry date is October 8, 2020. To store the upcoming potato harvest, the sector must turn to alternatives. That is a challenge in itself. “That is why we want to provide growers with useful advice before the summer about the possible routes they can choose,” says André Hoogendijk, director of BO Akkerbouw.
Transition Period
In the meantime, there is a discussion about the maximum residue limit (MRL). For chlorpropham this is currently 10 ppm. This means that no more than 10 mg of the drug may be present in one kilo of potatoes. That value will be adjusted downwards to the standard limit value of 0,01 ppm. This means that if there is no transition period, an estimated 50% of the potatoes will not be able to be processed. This is due to cross-contamination of potatoes stored in sheds where CIPC has been used in the past.
The European body SCoPAFF will assess a possible temporary MRL, which should ensure a workable situation in arable farming. Hoogendijk: “It is expected that the subject will be discussed in June and that a decision will be made on the European Commission's draft proposal in September.” The Germ Inhibition Task Force therefore consults closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and members organize a European lobby, including through the European agricultural umbrella organization Copa-Cogeca.
Tension remains
“For the time being, everything indicates that a workable temporary MRL will be introduced,” Hoogendijk reports. This means that if a grower cleans his barns according to the protocol that has been drawn up for this purpose, he in principle does not have to worry about the sales of his potatoes. Although it remains exciting, Hoogendijk admits. “On the one hand, because we do not yet know for sure that the temporary MRL will be introduced and on the other hand, there is no guarantee that the cleaning procedure will work adequately for every situation.”
Partly for this reason, the Taskforce urges the ministry to carefully monitor the potatoes in the first year of cultivation without CIPC. “Of course, this also raises all kinds of questions, because how do you ensure good monitoring and sampling? We are also discussing this.”