Did you know that the National Road Traffic Act (Act 93 of 1996) regulates the transport of dangerous goods, including pesticides? This law aims to minimise risks associated with improper handling of crop protection products. In this episode of Farmer’s Inside Track, Hiresh Ramanand, stewardship specialist, and Quade Jam, compliance specialist at CropLife South Africa, explain how farmers can comply with these regulations. They also discuss how to safeguard farming operations, communities, and the environment.
Ramanand explains that crop protection products with UN numbers are regulated as dangerous goods. However, bona fide farmers are exempt from stringent transport requirements under specific conditions.
“Bona fide farmers are exempt provided the crop protection products are not intended for resale in their original or modified form, the journey does not exceed 250 km (of which no more than 50 km is on a main arterial road), and the quantities transported fall within specific limits,” Ramanand explained.
He also explains that the transport limits for crop protection products under the National Road Traffic Act, breaking down the allowable quantities for liquid and solid pesticides and shares simple examples to help farmers stay within the law.
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Risks of mixing goods
Meanwhile, Jam addressed whether it is advisable to load animal feeds and pesticides in the same area of a vehicle.
“Simply put, that is not advisable. Crop protection products give off fumes, which can be absorbed by solid animal feeds. Contaminated feed can harm livestock, leading to unnecessary vet bills.”
He strongly recommends keeping animal feeds separate from crop protection products.
In this episode, the experts also discuss:
- Why transporting fuels or food with crop protection products is strictly prohibited
- Animal feed should not be transported alongside pesticides to prevent contamination and more.
Want to know more? Dive deeper into the episode and gain insights from the award-winning Farmer’s Inside Track, officially recognised as Africa and the world’s best podcast at the 2024 Digital Media Awards presented by WAN-IFRA, the global press organisation.
Option 1: Click here to listen on Spotify (all mobile and other devices).
Option 2: Click here to listen on any Apple device.
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