Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture bans agrochemicals containing Metamidophos

 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MINAGRI) of Peru, through the National Agrarian Health Service (SENASA), recently banned the importation and registration of new pesticides for agricultural use that contain the active ingredient, Metamidophos. According to the evaluation carried out by SENASA, there are other pesticides available that pose a lower risk to health and the environment, which can be used as alternatives to Methamidophos.

 

Methamidophos is an insecticide that belongs to the group of organophosphorus pesticides and is considered a highly toxic substance for birds, water fleas and bees. Likewise, due to its high ecotoxicological risk toward aquatic organisms and due to its persistence in water bodies, it is detrimental to aquatic life.

 

According to Directive Resolution 0022-2020-MINAGRI-SENASA-DIAIA, from this year on, pesticides with this active ingredient can no longer be used nor can they be manufactured, formulated, packaged, distributed, marketed or stored.

 

The approved measures are in accordance with the technical reports of the three institutions involved in the evaluation of pesticides, including the General Directorate of Agricultural Environmental Affairs of MINAGRI, SENASA and the General Directorate of Environmental Health and Food Safety of the Ministry of Health

 

This pesticide is included in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure Applicable to certain pesticides and hazardous chemicals subject to international trade, which promotes a shared responsibility between importing and exporting countries to protect human health and the environment against the harmful effects of chemical products, ratified by Peru with Supreme Decree No. 058-2005-RE.

 

With the approved standard, distributors should avoid keeping stocks of the product that contain this active ingredient and will be granted a period to market and use the products that are already present in the market.

 

The entry of Metamidophos will be allowed only if it is in transit to Peru before the law is in force, and the customs authority will be informed that chemical pesticides for agricultural use or any product that contains this active ingredient are forbidden from entering the country.