THE AUSTRALIAN canola industry is closely monitoring the potential ban of glyphosate in the European Union (EU), concerned it could have an impact on import regulations, in what is by far and away, our major market for canola.
A Doomsday scenario would be that a ban on glyphosate is imposed in the EU and that it would not accept any product treated with glyphosate at any stage.
Last year Australian canola exports to the EU tallied around 2.4 million tonnes, valued at more than $1 billion according to industry estimates.
While the extreme option of a blanket ban on all products treated with glyphosate is considered unlikely at this stage, Grain Producers Australia (GPA) chairman Andrew Weidemann said such an outcome would force a quantum shift in the Australian canola industry.
“If it came to that worst-case scenario where we couldn’t use glyphosate at all for canola going to the EU, then we’d probably have to tell them we couldn’t produce what they wanted,” Mr Weidemann said.
He is not impressed by the proposed ban on glyphosate in the EU.
“It’s a topic we’ve been upfront with the Chinese as well when talking about maximum residue limits (MRLs) – with these matters of chemical use and market access there are times you just have to say you can’t do it,” Mr Weidemann said.
“We’ve seen changes in the marketing environment many times before where a certain crop becomes less profitable and that would unfortunately be what happens with canola if there was a big change in European receival standards.
However, Mr Weidemann remained optimistic EU markets would remain open.
“The whole situation regarding glyphosate in the EU is something of an unknown at present, we’re certainly keeping an eye on it, but at the moment it is business as usual and is likely to be for at least the next few years, no matter what the decision is.”
Tony Russell, Grains Industry Market Access Forum (GIMAF), said there had been no official notice from the EU on the overall situation regarding glyphosate and it was still up in the air.
He believed should a ban be imposed, EU farmers would lobby hard to ensure overseas exporters to the EU did not have access to chemistry they did not.
Mr Russell raised one potential situation where glyphosate MRLs were lowered or even abolished altogether.
At present EU MRLs for glyphosate are at 10 milligrams per kilogram, lower than Australia’s 20mg/kg, however there have been no issues with Australian exports not meeting Euro standards.
