"We are advocating for a total ban on chlorpyrifos, we just can’t keep complaining that it’s discrimination, the bottomline is that if we don’t comply in accordance with the requirements of the international buying community, it will be a threat to the mango industry itself," said Philfoodex president Roberto Amores who is also the president of the Mango Product Exporters Confederation Inc. (MPECI).
Japan’s Food Safety Commission (FSC) recently set new maximum residue level (MRLs) for imported fresh agricultural produce and for fresh mangoes this was reduced to .05 parts per million (ppm) from .5 ppm.
"The bias against mangoes especially in the Japanese market should be addressed since Japan is a major export market," said Amores, adding that agencies involved in agricultural practices such as the FPA should help in the dissemination of information on good agricultural practices to small farmers and growers.
Amores said the Philippine mango industry is facing a lot of restrictions especially in the Japanese market which has very rigid quarantine laws.
"What we want to push for is for stronger and more involved collaboration with government authorities to help farmers by offering them alternatives or substitutes for the chemical that we want banned," said Amores.
He explained that during negotiations on the MRL for mangoes, the government clearly agreed with the Japanese government that chlorpyrifos will no longer be used in treating mango pests and insects.
"There is no way to go around it and explain to the Japanese that we are still within the set MRL when we already gave word that we won’t use it for mango, we can’t go to them and claim that our mango contains just .4 ppm," explained Amores.
Among industry members, there is already a self-imposed ban but this has to be more widespread and brought down to the farmer level.
"We could do that because we are organized as a group, but for backyard mango growers which comprise more than 50 percent of the industry, more efforts need to be exerted to get to that level when the use of chlorpyrifos is a thing of the past," said Amores.
To ensure compliance by farmers, Amores said the Department of Agriculture should coordinate with concerned agencies to set up additional testing centers. He said the Bureau of Plant Industry’s National Festicide and Analytical Laboratory facilities at seven units nationwide, are not enough to handle the volume required for sample testing.
MPECI previously told its Japanese buyers that it will work for the complete ban on pesticides containing toxic residues. These include chlorpyrifos, a restricted pesticide which is also used as a termicide. Its improper use is known to cause cholinesterase inhibition in humans. It can overstimulate the nervous system causing nausea, dizziness, confusion, and at high exposures, respiratory paralysis, and death.
In the Philippines, chlorpyrifos is contained in pesticide brands such as Blink, Siga, Fradon, Perfect, Predator and Propan. Mango growers use this in the fruiting stage to prevent insect infestation that could damage the crop.
"Mango exporters have already asked proper authorities to ban the use of chlorpyrifos," Amores said.