News Crop protection
Plowing? Then no more glyphosate in France
Just 3 days after French arable farmers were told they could have neonicotinoids-coated beet seed again from 2021, it was decided that the French government will heavily regulate the use of glyphosate. Arable farmers who plow in particular will soon no longer be able to fall back on the herbicide.
The French parliament passed a verdict on Friday 9 October over the use of glyphosate. The ban on this substance will be phased in from 1 January. Only when no alternatives are available can growers fall back on the cheap and effective weed killer, better known under the brand name RoundUp.
Exceptions
One of those exceptions is when growers grow their crops without plow. When plowing between 2 crops, it is not allowed to tackle weeds with glyphosate. Mechanical weed control is the motto. Anses, the French food watchdog, announced the rules on Oct. 9. Most arable crops have to deal with the rules. However, Anses can make use of an exception if required. In this way problem weeds can still be tackled.
Market products
Other exceptions are for crops where mechanical weed control is very difficult due to the presence of stones or on steep hills. Its use is restricted in orchards. Anses takes 36 glyphosate-based herbicides from the French market. There are also a number of RoundUp products among them.
Back in 2017, French President Macron announced that he would introduce a glyphosate ban within 3 years, despite protests among farmers. A total ban was announced in Austria earlier this year. Ultimately, the European Commission annulled this decision explained† Also in Belgium glyphosate was recently the subject of discussion† The Supreme Health Council is calling for a ban there.
In more than 2 years, the license of glyphosate in the European Union will expire. It is highly questionable whether the drug will be extended.
Niels van der Boom
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