South Africa’s fresh produce export industry has received a major boost with the launch of an Internet-based information database on maximum residue limits (MRLs) for agricultural chemicals.
The MRL Info Hub is the culmination of a year’s worth of research by a consortium of experts operating as Agribusiness Systems International (ABSi), under the direction of the South African Pesticide Initiative Programme (SAPIP) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and the European Union.
It is believed to be the one of the most complete databases of its kind in the world, and covers all relevant plant protection products (PPPs) listed in the EU and South Africa. These include 78 insecticides, 65 fungicides, four herbicides and six growth regulators.
The purpose of the database is to provide farmers and other stakeholders with the information they need about MRLs in order to compete effectively in the international market, such as the specific MRL limits for specific crops in certain importing countries. Using the MRL Info Hub, growers will be able to assess which PPPs are most suited to the crops they produce for export, and to what extent and how they can use such products depending on the recipient country.
Cape Business News