New residue standards – learning to cope

Representatives from the horticulture export sector in Senegal have assessed the possible impact of the European Union’s Maximum Residue Level legislation on farmers. Seynabou Sissoko of PAN Africa reports.

Vegetable farmers ranking crops for pesticide intensity, Sangalkam village, Senegal. Photo PAN Africa

African farmers growing fresh fruit and vegetables for European consumers fear for their livelihoods as a result of new rules on pesticide residues. The rules came into force on 31 July 2002, and will block imports with residues above newly-established standards.
    Food scares in Europe have increased consciousness of food safety. The European Union (EU) rules on pesticide Maximum Residue levels (MRLs) have been set at the limit of detection, or effectively zero, unless a limit has been agreed. But many of the crops grown in Africa, or the pests controlled, are not common in Europe, and no MRLs have been established. The EU legislation will be fully operational by 2004. More toxicological analyses will be conducted, and imports exceeding MRLs will be rejected. Rejected shipments may be returned to the exporter or destroyed. Future exports from the country could be banned for a period of time. In extreme cases, the exporter could face prison.

Producer concerns
Producers are understandably highly concerned. Many point out that they have been growing vegetables for a long time, and were only informed of the change a month before the new rules came into force. Producers and exporters urgently need the list of authorised products. Many of those holding pesticide stocks and are unsure whether these can be used. In Senegal, growers and suppliers have requested a subsidy from the government or the EU to allow them to purchase approved pesticides, and they want reimbursement for pesticides stocked but no longer useable. 

Helping growers in Senegal 
To prevent growers being penalised by the new legislation, a number of organisations in Senegal organised a day of awareness in July 2001. Led by the Project for the Promotion of Small and Medium Horticultural Enterprises (PPMEH), in collaboration with the Local Organisations Collective Support Group (CADEL) the workshop took place in Sébikotane in the Niayes zone, which is largely dedicated to horticulture. 
    Niayes zone includes Dakar, Thiès, Louga and Saint Louis, and over 20,000 producer families live in the region. The main crops include green beans (primarily for export), cabbages, tomatoes and carrots. All use significant quantities of pesticides. 
    The workshop gave participants essential information on MRLs and the harvest intervals for pesticides used on export horticultural crops. The event brought together some 40 people from state services, NGOs, state run projects, pesticides distributors, horticultural producers and women’s groups. Discussions covered pesticide use in the Niayes zone, the EU recommendations, and possible non-chemical alternatives. Producers and exporters presented an audit of problems linked to horticulture and the use of chemical pesticides in the area. 
    Farmers face many pest problems. The most common are nematodes, aphids and crypto-viral diseases. Whitefly has caused large crop losses in recent years. Producers tend to use whatever they have to hand: if they do not have accurate information it is impossible to know whether a pesticide is appropriate for the pest and crop.
    The products used include: dimethoate, methamidophos (Tamaron) and deltamethrin (Decis) against insects; sulphur and maneb against fungal diseases; carbofuran (Furadan) against nematodes; fenpropathrin and pyriprozyfen (Prompt) and endosulfan (Thymul 35) against whitefly. Pesticides are generally purchased from registered manufacturers and distributors such as Senchim, SPIA, Traoré et fils and Niayes Sarrauld. However some are bought from weekly markets. Many growers use cotton pesticides from SODEFITEX, for example endosulfan against whitefly. For the export crops green beans and tomatoes, exporters generally supply seed, chemical pesticides, guidance on dose rates and treatment calendars. 
    Growers know of pesticide dangers, but tend not to take enough precautions. Most admit that they do not follow the safety procedure guidelines. They sometimes, under pressure of demand and need for cash, ignore harvest intervals, harvesting one or two days after application of a product whose residue delay is eight days or more, putting their own, and consumers, health at risk. Producers lack access to protective equipment for handling pesticides. 
    The potential impacts of the EU MRLs led a number of organisations to set up a commission to study and elaborate a list of pesticides for use in horticulture, with guidance on the harvest intervals. The organisations include Ceres Locustox, Directorate for Vegetal Protection, Promotion of Small and Medium Sized Horticultural Enterprises project, and the Senegalese Institute for Normalisation. The list will be available to chemical manufacturers, horticultural technicians and producers. 

Research priority: alternatives
Research into alternatives to chemical pesticides is undertaken by NGOs, exporters, the Senegalese authorities and chemical input suppliers. All are conscious of quality as a pre-condition for access to external markets. Several measures have thus been taken to ensure that the new EU directive on MRLs is respected in horticulture. 

NGO action 
PAN Africa and Ceres Locutox are developing alternative pest control methods in Niayes mainly through Farmer Field Schools, training producers in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Locustox has facilitated training in Dakar for 600 horticulturalists from the Niayes zone and 30 agricultural technicians from Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal. PAN Africa has trained some 150 horticulturalists. IPM aims to facilitate healthy cultivation practices using good quality seed, improving soil fertility and natural pesticides. 

Government action 
Within the ministry of agriculture and livestock, the government has established: 

• Project for the Promotion of Agricultural Exports (PPEA) to supply guides on good practice covering pesticides, hygiene, post-harvest application to export operators. Guides take into account internal (organisation, professionalism) and external (traceability, EU MRLs) concerns. 
• Project for Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Horticultural Enterprises (PPMEH) to improve quality. PPMEH covers 60% of the national horticultural production. It has trained a core of relay technicians to facilitate integrated management of horticultural plots taking into account good agricultural practice. Twenty training sessions have taken place on variety selection, improving poor soils, rational use of pesticides, alternatives to current phytosanitary practice, and irrigation systems.

Natural pest control 
Some natural substances have been tested and shown to be efficient against crop pests. For example, ash against nematodes, neem powder, pepper and eucalyptus against insects. Growers are interested in natural pesticides, and have praised neem powder, pepper and eucalyptus. 

Impacts on producers
Government and NGO support aims to increase the technical and observational skills of producers, which could lead to:

• better production and pest management 
• significant reductions in pesticide use 
• reduced costs of production 
• fewer pesticide-related health problems
• recognition of harvest intervals

Encouraging results have already been recorded, according to PPMEH. Many more producers are aware of the negative impacts of chemical pesticides and fertilisers on soil, human and animal health and the environment. Training has led to reduced use of urea on crops and its replacement with organic manure. 
    In Saint Louis this strategy improved onion quality. On poor soils, growers previously used more urea, encouraging leaf growth. The onions were gorged with water, making preservation difficult. The choice of irrigation also plays an important part in the development of pests or diseases. ‘Lance’ or disperser systems limit pest populations but use more water and encourage fungal disease, while drip systems are economical but encourage pests. Some exporters are already following good agricultural practice in green beans, cherry tomato and mango cultivation. 

Perspectives 
For the new EU regulations on MRLs to be properly applied in Senegal on agricultural produce for export and local consumption, there needs to be:

• greater awareness raising and information in the whole country
• price mechanisms to encourage producers to use those pesticides authorised by the new rules and to respect cropping delays

For more details contact: panafrica@pan-africa.sn

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 57, September 2002, pages 6-7]