Coffee Berry Borer threatens again coffee crops in Brazil

Date:09-12-2013

The current low prices for coffee are not the only thing Brazilian producers are concerned about. In the last few weeks, the lack of an efficient and economically viable pesticide to combat the coffee berry borer, one of the pests affecting this culture the most, it also became a major issue which could turn into losses if an alternative is not found quickly.

The coffee berry borer can be controlled with insecticides containing the active ingredient endosulfanas, which was widely used since 1970’s. However, since it is a toxic substance, its sale is banned in Brazil since the beginning of the month, according to a resolution of the National Sanitary Agency (ANVISA) in August 2010. After three years, this pest can reach up to 20% of the national production in the next season (2014/15), according to the National Coffee Council (CNC).
 
This substance is banned in 45 countries, and it was on a list of the 14 pesticides reevaluated by ANVISA for suspecting serious health problems related to it. The Department of Agriculture reports that there are currently three active ingredients released to combat the coffee berry borer which were all tested. However, their efficiency is not 100%, according to coffee producers.
 
Almost three weeks ago, there was a meeting of the Technical Pesticides Advisory Committee, started by the Department of Agriculture, ANVISA and the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), to discuss the Agriculture election of two other alternatives to endosulfan. These products were developed by multinational corporations and they represent a new group of insecticides, according to researcher Julio Cesar de Souza, from the Agricultural Minas Gerais State Research Company (Epamig). They are considered about the “blue stripe” (medium to low toxicity), while endosulfan is “red stripe” (extremely toxic).
 
These molecules were tested for over four years and, according to experts, are very efficient. “It's a breakthrough," says Souza. Before endosulfan, the coffee berry borer infested almost 100 % of the crops, the researcher remembers. Today, the rate is 3-5%. The berry borer is a beetle whose female lays eggs that hatch into larvae and eat the coffee seeds, which causes losses in weight and quality of the fruit.
 
The Epamig researcher was one of those responsible for the document on the agronomic efficiency of these new alternatives. The proposed registration of the two products was sent by the Department of Agriculture to ANVISA and IBAMA over a year ago, but only this month it was attached to the proposal the Epamig’s document with more technical data about the need to prioritize the analysis of these products, says Carlos Venancio, chief of the pesticide division at the Department of Agriculture.

As Venancio pointed out, ANVISA was focused on the assessment of products to combat soybean rust and, given the small number of technical agency, the problem was created. ANVISA reported, however, that it requested several times to the Department of Agriculture to indicate what are the possible substitutes to fight coffee berry borer and only received a reply on July 3rd.
 
ANVISA stated that it will do the toxicological evaluation of new options. “However, we have to meet the priority of soybean rust that was previously established by the Department of Agriculture and in which our team is involved right now.”
 
Considering the sales prohibition, it will be accepted as “regular” endosulfan residues in crops that use it (coffee, sugar, cotton and soybeans) until July 31st, 2014. After that, no more residues will be tolerated. According to ANVISA, the deadline for the removal of endosulfan from the market ends in mid-September. But it can have residues from prior applications from when it was legal, so the tolerance is until next year.
 
“We will have again coffee berry borer proliferating (if alternatives are not allowed). It is inevitable and an extremely serious matter,"said Silas Brasileiro, president of the National Coffee Council (CNC), which represents cooperatives and farmers. The president says the problem could get worse due to the low capital phase that we are going thru right now as a result of the lower prices for coffee, and handling is also harmed.
 
A source points out the “temptation” producer have to store the prohibited substance and keep applying the substance, which would be bad for the image of the segment. But there are no signs of significant stocks among farmers and cooperatives.