Brazil accelerates approval of agrochemicals, releases 28 new registrations in January 2019

By Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages
 

In January 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of Brazil approved 28 new registrations of agrochemicals. One of the active ingredients present in the released products was Sulfoxaflor, which has the same mode of action as the other products registered in Brazil and is considered indispensable in the control of sucking insects.
 

Their release, however, sparked a wave of protests in Brazil by environmental activists over the alleged damage to bee populations. The allegation is that the active ingredient has been banned in Europe, but this is a misnomer, because EU countries do not need this product because they do not cultivate crops that use Sulfoxaflor - a fact that eliminates the intention of companies to register the product there.
 

Other products registered in the first month of the year were herbicides based on sulfentrazone and imazethapyr, which focused on crops such as soybeans, sugarcane and coffee.
 

The consultant and agronomist, Josué Verba, said that although the registration in Brazil is extremely time-consuming, some improvements are being made by the public authorities in order to streamline the analysis of the processes. "Brazil is the country that has one of the most demanding processes in the world and guarantees security for the farmer, workers involved in the processes of agricultural production management and food security of the population, which is aligned with the peculiarities and needs of Brazilian agriculture," he said.
 

In a statement, the Ministry of Agriculture stated that the technical analysis of agrochemicals registered in the country is carried out by "highly qualified servers in the areas of agronomic science, human toxicology and ecotoxicology, with practices aligned with the most modern and demanding international legislations".
 

"Agrochemicals are essential tools for the effective control of pests in Brazilian agriculture and guarantee the sanity of Brazilian plantations. Their use is fundamental in agriculture, where the high averages of humidity and temperature, combined with extensive crops, favor the multiplication and spread of pests," said the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture.