Bayer Crop Science has announced problems with the production and supply of the fungicide Fandango. The drug is not available this year. This comes at an extremely unfortunate time when the fungal control package in onion cultivation is under heavy pressure. Bayer sees an opportunity to deliver, but it is thwarted.
The fact that Fandango EC 200 cannot be supplied in sufficient volume is due to the supply of a certain additive. Bayer receives this additive from an external supplier. In a message the company says it is 'at least capable of producing and supplying Fandango EC200'.
Not critical enough
As an alternative, the company offers a slightly modified formula. However, there is no permission for this. One solution is to apply for a 120-day exemption. BO Akkerbouw did this at the NVWA, with support from Bayer. The NVWA concludes that there is no emergency situation that means this exemption cannot be granted.
There is still an option to appeal. BO Akkerbouw has chosen to make use of this. In this 'hearing and adversarial procedure', the NVWA reassesses its own ruling based on information provided by the sector itself. Stakeholders have now mobilized many companies from the cultivation, processing, crop protection and marketing sectors to underline the urgency. A ruling is expected next week. Unfortunately, past experience shows that such a procedure is rarely successful.
Three criteria
Three criteria apply in a so-called 'Article 38 procedure' (an admission for 120 days). First of all, there must be an emergency. The NVWA concludes in its original ruling that this is not the case. After all, there are two alternatives. Strangely enough, the food watchdog does not look at resistance management. The second criteria is that there must be no prospect of permanent admission. That is a difficult one because the drug Fandango has already been approved, but its formulation has been slightly adjusted. The NVWA has difficulty dealing with this. The third criteria is that the disease must be a threat to cultivation. It is judged that this is not the case, while the entire onion sector thinks completely differently about this.
Downy mildew is one of the largest preparations. The difficult 2021 season makes this clear. The disease pressure was high and yields - especially in organic crops - were very disappointing. Conventional growers manage by art and craft. Especially thanks to the possibilities that were still available at the time.
Two resources remaining
The supply problems come at a particularly unpleasant time for the onion sector. From this year onwards, it is prohibited to use products with the active substance Mancozeb. This means that a whole host of fungicides are included in the onion grower's package. There are now two more remedies for fungus control. The disadvantage is resistance management. A maximum of 33% of the spraying schedule may be carried out with so-called OPP agents and only half with strobilurins. The two resources both fall under this.
In addition, there is also the cost of resources that increases irrevocably. Not only because of more expensive raw materials, but especially because of more expensive transport. Consulting organization Delphy calculated at the end of last year that the spraying schedule for onions was more than expensive doubled.
The whole story has a twisted ending. Bayer will also not be able to supply Fandango in other countries next season and is working on an alternative formulation. Because every country has its own way of reassessing, this situation is handled differently. According to insiders, there is a good chance that Belgium, for example, will issue a temporary permit and that France will also go along with it. If things go terribly wrong with the disease pressure next summer, it will be very attractive to tackle an alternative across the border.
More frequent delivery problems
Will we have to deal with these types of problems more often in the future? During the closing video about the Onion Crop Tour, Mark Ermers from Bayer Cropscience showed last year know that availability may be compromised more often. Transport is mainly the culprit, although it also has to do with politics. Fandango's current problems stem from a forced closure of a factory in China. Chemical companies realize the vulnerability of a global production network and are therefore even moving locations. But that cannot be made up in a few days or months. Availability – and therefore also the price – remains an uncertain matter.