Pitchcare is teaming up with the Industry's leading manufacturers and regulatory bodies to inform users of the problems and penalties of applying agricultural chemicals in amenity situations.
Over the coming months Pitchcare will be outlining the legal implications of using non-approved products, giving examples of mis-use and recommending courses of action and best practice.
Our thought on the subject is that so many of the large pesticide and chemical companies are now owned by a totally agrochemical holding company. They are supplying exactly the same active ingredients into differently labelled containers, one for Agricultural use, one of Amenity use on turf with a huge hike of selling price for the amentity product. Ever seen a turf chemical products Rep in an old car?
What are the issues?
It is illegal to use agricultural chemicals in amenity situations. Golf/sports club secretaries and greens committees could be liable to criminal proceedings if their greenkeeper or groundsman is trying to save a few pounds by using non-approved products, either intentionally or unintentionally.
A product label is specific to its area of use, so there are potentially serious health and safety and environmentally safety issues in using an agricultural approved product in amenity situations. Its label will not be tailored to address issues arising in that very different area of use. It is accepted, by and large, that in an agricultural or forestry environment, direct human contact with the applied pesticide is very limited. In an amenity context, such as a sports pitch, there is considerable exposure to human contact. Specific labels are drawn up to address those risks and to limit them or eliminate them.
The use of non-approved herbicides from other sectors or 'grey' imports undermines the financial viability of the general supply of new products and the re-registration of existing products into the amenity sector. It costs the manufacturers huge sums of money to find, select and develop new products over many years of trials. They must pass tests for efficacy, human and animal safety, environmental and aquatic safety etc. to obtain registration, and these registrations are drawn up to give specific instructions as to how these products are used in a particular area of use e.g. forestry, ornamental shrubs, amenity turf, arable land, orchards, safe application rates, etc. By using non-approved products, the income stream that must be generated to develop new products, or indeed to re-register existing products, is undermined. Consequently, the Industry as a whole loses out as good products disappear and new ones are not viable for development.
The purpose of the campaign
1. To improve health & safety to amenity facility users and staff
2. To reduce possible damage to the environment by mis-use
3. To ensure that the industry can afford to protect and re-register existing invaluable pesticides
4. To ensure that manufacturers can continue to afford to develop and market new and better products
Want to be involved?
If you would like to become involved in the campaign, either as an end user or as a supplier or manufacturer, please send your comments/views/opinions to Pitchcare
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