AVA-ASAJA warns of serious damage to the rice crop if the EU bans tricyclazole
The Valencian Farmers Association (AVA-ASAJA) has urged the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA) to firmly defend the maintenance of Tricyclazole, the most effective way to combat the fungus Pyricularia wreaking havoc in the paddies product and whose future will debate the EU shortly. The Valencian Association warns of serious harm if eventually it is decided to prohibit their use.
Before the decision of the European Union (EU) to discuss in the coming days about the future of tricyclazole, the active substance so far has been more effective against the devastating plague of fungus Pyricularia in rice, the president of AVA-ASAJA has approached officials from the Ministry to expose the enormous seriousness of the issue and warn the disaster that a possible abolition of that substance might have on their crops. For that reason, the Organization demands that Spain take a firm position and oppose flatly that proposes to ban definitively the use of tricyclazole, during the meetings that the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed EU will be held soon and where the issue will be addressed in order to adopt a final decision.
As pointed out by AVA-ASAJA, that intention of the European Union is within the framework of current EU trend in plant protection products, characterized by an extremely restrictive policy which has resulted in the elimination of a large number of pesticides that were basic to fight against certain pests and diseases.
Naturally, the possible prohibition of tricyclazole is generating enormous concern among the Valencian rice, because, as denounced by the president of AVA-ASAJA, Cristóbal Aguado, “there is much that we’re playing and so I have conveyed to the officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, because if successful these claims the consequences for the rice sector can be terrible, because would look deprived of the most effective weapon that, at least so far, has to deal with the fungus Pyricularia”.
Indeed, the above mentioned fungus, due to factors such as the accumulation of organic matter in the soil and spores of the fungus itself because of the prohibition of burning rice straw, has become in recent times one of the main threats to this crop. Last year, as already reported AVA-ASAJA, Pyricularia attacks caused a 15% decrease in the harvest of rice of Valencia and economic losses of nearly 5.6 million euros.
The problem for farmers involved phasing out of active materials is increasing, as more and have fewer tools to combat pests that decimate their crops. “One thing is that guidelines are developed and approved for a rational and responsible use for certain products, laments Cristóbal Aguado, another thing very different is that we be left completely defenseless. Sometimes we get the impression that replaced the precautionary principle by the principle of hysteria”.
A recent study at Community level on the consequences of these policies, and whose production has also participated AVA-ASAJA, states, inter alia, that if the 75 active substances that now are in the crosshairs are removed from the market EU profitability of many crops would be reduced to 40%.
Source: AVA-ASAJA
