AgroPages-Uruguay bans importation, registration, renewal of fenthion products-Agricultural news

By Leonardo Gottems, Reporter for AgroPages

Uruguay prohibited the importation, registration and renewal of agrochemical products based on fenthion.

The decision was made by the General Directorate of Agricultural Services of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries.

According to Federico Montes (Director of the General Directorate), the ban is due to the fact that the product is potentially harmful to the environment and human health, and is on a list of phytosanitary products under evaluation for removal from the market.

Authorities decided to accelerate the decision after the rejection of a container of oranges destined for the Italian market in October 2019.

Uruguayan products have been previously rejected for exceeding maximum residue limits allowed by Italy. Therefore, Montes announced that the directorate carried out a set of waste analyses that produced similar results to Italy’s.

The company involved, despite the fact that the fenthion levels found were well below the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), decided to proceed with the destruction of the said products, which will no longer be marketed in Uruguay or other markets.