On April 17, 2020 Italian Health Ministry published a regulation that allows Chlropyrifos-m emergency use for 120 days in apple, pear, peach and nectarine against brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys).
It has become a controversial regulation since farmers unions from different European countries have unsuccessfully claimed for emergency use of Chlorpyrifos. The governments from most of the states (except Italy) have not allowed emergency uses after the EU banned it on December 6, 2019.
In Spain, the farmers union Ava-Asaja has asked for allowance to use Chlorpyrifos against Delottococcus aberiae in citrus crops. Ava-Asaja demanded level playing field, otherwise Spanish farmers would be in a worse position to gain competitive edge in the market.
On top of that, other citrus exporter countries like South-Africa which still allows Chlorpyrifos use can keep exporting citrus with Chlorpyrifos residue to the EU. The EU still allows a MRL (Maximum Residue Limit) of Chlorpyrifos up to 1.5 ppm (parts per million = mg/kg).
Chlorpyrifos has been proved to damage kids brain and its use must be lessened and its residue on food kept under control. However, I would say it makes no sense Chlorpyrifos is banned, the European crops ruined by more and more aggressive pests and Chlorpyrifos is still present at our tables coming from crops outside the EU.
Please, let me know in the comments below your thoughts.
LIMARE 