Are you transporting crop protection products safely and responsibly? Farmers play a vital role in ensuring compliance with the National Road Traffic Act to avoid penalties, protect their goods, and safeguard their communities. In this article, CropLife South Africa experts share what every farmer should know.
Transporting crop protection products by road is a common practice for many South African farmers, but it comes with significant risks and responsibilities.
The National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996), outlines specific requirements for transporting dangerous goods, including crop protection products.
Compliance is critical to prevent hazards such as chemical spills, fires, or environmental damage. To clarify these responsibilities, Hiresh Ramanand, Stewardship Specialist at CropLife South Africa, and Quade Sing Jam, Compliance Specialist at CropLife South Africa, shared essential insights for farmers.
Farmer exemptions
Ramanand explained what farmers must know to avoid contravening the Act. He began by noting 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 further clarified these limits:
- Liquid pesticides must not exceed 1,000 litres.
- Solid pesticides must not exceed 1,000 kilograms.
- For mixed loads, the total must not exceed 1,000 units, where one unit equals one litre or one kilogram.
To simplify, Ramanand shared an example: “A farmer transporting 500 kg of solid pesticides and 450 L of liquid pesticides is exempt because this adds up to 950 units, which is within the limit.”
However, farmers who exceed these limits must comply with all necessary regulations under the Act, where all legal liability pertaining to the road transport of dangerous goods according to this Act apply..
Ramanand reassured that this rarely applies to smallholder farmers. At the commercial level, larger consignments are typically delivered by compliant transport service providers.
The risks of co-loading
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,” he stated. “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 recommended keeping animal feeds separate from crop protection products.
Ramanand expanded the discussion to fertilisers, advising against co-loading solid inorganic fertilisers with pesticides for similar reasons.
“Fumes from pesticides can compromise the integrity of inorganic solid fertilisers, potentially causing application issues due to the integrity of the fertiliser potentially being compromised,” he said.
However, liquid fertilisers, whether organic or inorganic, do not absorb pesticide fumes due to their packaging (i.e., plastic containers) and formulation, making it acceptable to co-load these with crop protection products.
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Fuels, food, and animal safety
When asked about transporting fuels and food items alongside crop protection products, Ramanand’s response was clear: “No.”
He explained that food items could absorb pesticide fumes, posing health risks to humans, while co-loading fuels presents an unwarranted fire risk.
Ramanand added a poignant reminder for farmers about their pets. “The Griffon Poison Information Centre receives reports of dogs poisoned by pesticides spilling in the back of bakkies. If you love your dogs, leave them at home and away from areas where crop protection products are stored or transported,” he said.
Large consignments and offloading precautions
When it comes to what farmers should know when receiving large consignments of crop protection products exceeding the exemption thresholds, Jam advised farmers to ensure the offloading site is spacious, suitable, and equipped with necessary tools like forklift trucks.
Safety is paramount, and farmers must ensure the transport vehicle is fit for purpose, licensed for dangerous goods, and suitably placarded. Drivers must also be properly licensed and equipped with the necessary personal protective gear.
“If the vehicle or consignment is deemed unsafe for offloading, the farmer has a constitutional obligation to refuse it. The risks involved are simply not worth it,” Jam emphasised.
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