Chile bans glyphosate formulations with tallowamine

Date:10-06-2022

The Chilean Agricultural Service (SAG) has announced a ban on agrochemical formulations containing a glyphosate mixture with the surfactant polyethoxylated tallowamine (POEA).

Exempt Resolution No. 5328/2022 made Chile the first country on the American continent to generate a regulation of these characteristics.

According to the SAG, it took the decision after a technical evaluation based on a scientific basis. It ″reaffirms the commitment of the Ministry of Agriculture to work for the development of sustainable agriculture, which does not pose risks to the health of people, animals, and the environment.″ 

With this normative act, the Chilean agency stated that it intended to guarantee that the supply of glyphosate that arrived in Chile had the same quality as those used in European countries, preventing batches of older and more toxic formulations still authorized in other countries from entering the countries of the region.

Tallowamine surfactant, in combination with glyphosate, facilitates the uptake of this herbicide in weeds.

This mixture is assessed as having a higher toxicological hazard than formulations containing other surfactants, a fact that has led member countries of the European Union to ban this combination.

The SAG highlighted the importance of strictly following the safety measures imposed by law and respecting the agrochemicals package insert.

In addition, according to the Chileans, a ″strict control and training program is carried out to promote the correct use of these chemicals.″

″The commercialization of pesticides for agricultural use in Chile must always be carried out through formal channels, which correspond to the establishments that communicated their start of activities before the SAG and report year after year the products they sell and the volumes sold,″ the department warned.

″In the same way, these establishments are periodically audited to verify compliance with current regulations,″ the SAG concluded.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)