THE herbicide glyphosate has won an 11th hour reprieve in the European Union (EU).
Just 72 hours before it was due to be deregistered on July, the officiating body, the European Commission has indicated it will issue a temporary extension of the safety approval of the product until December 2017.
The decision to re-register the product, to be voted on by member nations, had been bogged down in political machinations, with France indicating it planned to vote to ban the chemical, so the EC is believed to have extended the approval to allow the product to be used in the interim until a permanent decision is reached.
An official announcement of the extension is expected tomorrow Australian time.
A ban on the product would have a seismic impact on crop production in Europe.
A survey conducted by market research firm Ipsos found French growers estimated production would drop by 25pc should glyphosate be banned.
The safety of glyphosate continues to be argued following two contrasting reports from different sections of the World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier in the year.
For its part, Monsanto, which sells glyphosate products under trade name Roundup, continues to assert the weed killer is safe and is lobbying for it to be declared safe to use in the lucrative European market.
Corporate affairs lead for crop protection for Monsanto Europe David Carpintero said a re-registration of glyphosate was the sensible decision.
“The evolution of this process has been criticized even by the European Commission, where member states like France, Germany and Italy have been accused by commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis of hiding behind the commission,” he said.
Mr Carpintero said in spite of France planning to vote against extending the safety approval, French farmers were in favour of retaining the product.
He quoted the Ipsos study to illustrate growers’ desire for the product.
“53 per cent of French agricultural land is treated with glyphosate-based herbicides and farmers are extremely satisfied with its efficacy, giving it a mark of 9.1/10 according to the survey,” he said.
He said farmers did not want to see a ban, with 81pc not supporting a withdrawal of the product and 75pc considering the herbicide essential for soil conservation in terms of minimising the need for tillage, which can lead to soil erosion.
Mr Carpintero said a ban on glyphosate would not see a decline in herbicide use in Europe.
“Nine out of ten farmers will simply apply herbicides with different active ingredients, although they believe costs will rise by 24pc and yields will drop by around 25pc.”
The extension of approval will allow for a review of glyphosate by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).
