CropLife South Africa’s regulatory manager, Roleen la Grange, along with regulatory specialist Anushka Gokul, delves into the details of the new regulations for agricultural remedies introduced in 2023. They explain the impact of these changes on farmers, offering valuable insights on compliance and how to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape.
La Grange says the regulations, announced in August 2023, relate to agricultural remedies under the Fertilisers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies, and Stock Remedies Act, also referred to as Act No. 36 of 1947.
The newly introduced regulations bring a range of requirements to improve the quality of agricultural remedies and align with international standards. La Grange highlighted some of the most notable changes, including requirements for trials and labelling.
“These field trials need to be conducted according to EPPO GEP (Good Experimental Practises), developed by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation,’’ she says.
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Aims to streamline processes
Among the changes is the need for agricultural remedies to be labelled according to the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) of classification and labelling of chemicals, aligning South African regulations with international standards. Producers are also now required to ensure they comply with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for the pesticide sector, focusing on post-consumer waste management and recycling.
In addition to stricter requirements, the regulations also aim to speed up certain processes.
Gokul explains, “The regulation allows the registrar to expedite or fast-track the registration of remedies that comply with the definition of a low-risk agricultural remedy. Similarly, minor changes to labels can now be made immediately by the registration holder after submitting the application.”
Despite concerns over the backlog of applications, there is optimism that these changes will streamline some processes. “Depending on the type of application, it could take up to four years for an application to be evaluated,” she says.
However, she noted that recent developments, such as the placement of interns at the department of agriculture, are designed to assist with the workload and reduce waiting times.
In this episode, they also discuss:
- How the regulations also aim to speed up certain processes;
- Backlog of applications and more.
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