Almost half of the blueberry growers inspected by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) in 2024 did not comply with all regulations regarding the use of pesticides. Out of the 20 inspected growers, 9 made mistakes. The main issues were related to mandatory measures to prevent drift. The NVWA has prepared reports of findings, which lead to fines or warnings in cases of less serious violations.
In 2024, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) granted an exemption for the pesticide Exirel containing the active substance cyantraniliprole to combat the Suzuki fruit fly. This exemption has been granted annually since 2015 and comes with strict application conditions to protect aquatic organisms, bees, and other insects.
Application conditions for Exirel tightened
In 2024, the application conditions for Exirel were further tightened to better protect groundwater. For instance, a blueberry grower may not use the product until the second calendar year after the last application on the same parcel. No other products based on cyantraniliprole may be used in the interim period.
Due to the stricter application conditions, NVWA inspections in 2024 focused, among other things, on blueberry cultivation. Out of the 139 blueberry growers in the Netherlands, NVWA inspected 20 companies based on a random sample. Of those 20 companies, 6 used Exirel. Among them, 4 violated the application conditions for the exemption for that product. Here too, growers primarily made mistakes regarding mandatory measures to prevent drift.
View the full inspection results of blueberry cultivation in 2024.
Follow-up
The NVWA finds the low compliance concerning. In discussions with the Board for the Registration of Pesticides and Biocides (Ctgb) and the Ministry of LVVN, the NVWA has explicitly discussed the concerns. The inspection results have been shared with the sector, the risks of low compliance have been discussed, and growers have been encouraged to apply the products correctly. Ultimately, the growers themselves are responsible for the correct application of pesticides.
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