Senators from Morena, Rafael Espino and Nancy Sánchez, warned that the prohibition of glyphosate could have serious economic consequences for Mexican farmers, as they depend on the herbicide to maintain productivity and competitiveness in the market.
Since there is no substitute for glyphosate as promised by the federal government, the crop protection industry supports the senators’ resolution urging the Secretariat of Environment, Agriculture, Health, and Finance to report on their research and proceed to extend the period for the use, importation, production, and distribution of the herbicide, as well as genetically modified maize.
The deadline for replacing glyphosate use in crops established in the decree published by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador expires on March 31st. However, there are no alternatives to eliminate it, and the prohibition of glyphosate could result in potential drops in maize production of up to 40% and price increases of up to 85%, according to forecasts made by Crop Protection, Science, and Technology (PROCCYT).
Industrialists are holding meetings with different actors from the federal government and legislators, agreeing that authorities must first inform what alternatives they have to ban glyphosate.
Senators from Morena, Rafael Espino, and Nancy Sánchez warned that the prohibition of glyphosate could have serious economic consequences for Mexican farmers, as they depend on the herbicide to maintain productivity and competitiveness in the market.
“It is crucial that more research be conducted to develop alternatives to glyphosate that are effective, affordable, and safe. In the meantime, the possibility of allowing the use of glyphosate under certain conditions and appropriate precautions to protect human health and the environment should be considered,” they warn in the resolution.
The absence of a viable substitute for this herbicide generates concern among the agricultural and scientific community, given that glyphosate has played a crucial role in crop protection and food production in Mexico since its introduction, said the crop protection industry.
Luis Osorio, executive director of PROCCYT, emphasizes that the prohibition of glyphosate not only affects the crop protection industry but the entire agri-food chain. “It is highlighted that glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world for the last 40 years and has been extensively reviewed in terms of safety for human health and the environment.”
Concamin, led by José Abugaber, recommended the need to invest in science and technology to have certainty about a substitute for glyphosate in the necessary time and not determine fatal dates, such as March 31, 2024, as the deadline, since viable substitutes for agriculture are not yet available, with a trial period of at least two years to compare agricultural cycles and have scientific evidence of their positive impact on plantations.
eleconomista.mx