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Orchardists say chemical ban jeopardises industry

By Lara Hyams
Fruit fly spraying in a backyard

Spraying for fruit fly (file).

Stone fruit growers are lobbying the federal government to reverse a decision to ban a commonly used insecticide used to kill fruit fly.

Orchardists have been using the chemical Fenthion for more than 60 years but the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) wants to take the product off the shelf, claiming it could be detrimental to human health.

A federal ban comes into effect in October this year.

Brett Delsimone is behind the Fruit Fly Action Group - a consortium made up of more than 60 stone growers opposed to the ban.

Mr Delsimone says he was "born on the orchard" and has been a full-time grower for 20 years.

He feels that a ban on Fenthion will lead to a surge in fruit fly because other insecticides lack the potency to kill fruit fly.

"Fenthion is the only product on the market that will actually kill the maggot and the egg which is laid by the fruit fly," he said.

"There are many products which kill the adult in the air but once the fruit fly lays the egg inside the piece of fruit, there is nothing else that is registered and prevent to kill that egg."

Fruit flies have the potential to lay up to 100 eggs per day and up to 800 eggs in a life cycle

It is a frightening statistic for fruit growers, who say that without sufficient insect protections, crop losses could reach 50 per cent.

He says the spray is used as a "last line of defence" once other options, including traps, are exhausted.

"We go out and look for stings, and once you start seeing stings on the fruit and flies in your traps, that's when you go in with your first application of Fenthion," he said.

"You then have a waiting period which is generally up to 14 days and then you make the second application and generally that is enough to get you through.

"But because of outside influences such as residential fruit fly, sometimes a third emergency spray is needed if the population gets out of control."

Under threat

Mr Delsimone says the action group was formed out of necessity and industry survival. Its members believe many family-run orchardists are under threat due to the insecticide ban.

"The APVMA is saying that there is a possibility of harm, but in those 60 years of usage worldwide, they still cannot show us one case as being ill from ingesting fresh produce which has been subject to Fenthion use," he said.

"That can be said about anything that we use, any household product or anything you can buy off the shelf at any supermarket there's always a case it may happen.

"Does that mean that we ban everything on the shelves?

"There no evidence that it affects human health until someone presents sick, which pinpoints the product as its cause.

"I don't think it is reasonable to say that it affects human health in the way APMVA is claiming."

But the APMVA stands by the ban.

"The APVMA completed its assessment of residue data, that being the residual levels of chemical found in treated food plants and published the Fenthion residents and dietary risk assessment report in September 2012," a spokeswoman said.

"This assessment found that use of Fenthion on certain crops according to the existing label instructions could lead to some consumers being exposed to levels of Fenthion above the public health standard.

"Under its governing legislation, the APVMA is obliged to take appropriate action when it cannot be satisfied about the safety of particular chemicals.

"Although the review is not complete, based on this finding, the community expects that immediate action be taken."

Grower consultation

Mr Delsimone says consultation between growers and authorities prior to the ban, was minimal.

"There was no consultation in the start and when the growers did contact the APVMA to offer our point of view and how we use the chemical, we were basically told to go away," he said.

"This decision had been made and there was nothing we could do about it.

"They had no clue as to what our regimes were and how our regimes differed to the label use.

"We actually use it in a very minimal way."

However, the APVMA says it advised and met with industry groups and state authorities before the ban was implemented.

"This consultation included opportunities to comment on component reports for the review that are published on the APVMA website and direct emails to more than 250 individuals and user groups to alert them to the proposed regulatory action and invite them to submit relevant information to the review," a spokeswoman said.

"APVMA representatives met with various industry representatives in WA and Queensland to discuss the findings of the report and the modified use instructions.

"This was followed by several teleconferences and the submission of further information, including spray records and individual grower information on use."

Another major concern for growers is the lack of product substitute for Fenthion. There have been rumours of new products entering the market, but they have yet to hit the shelves.

"The best information we have is that new products to replace are Fenthion about 4 to 5 years away - even then they are still unproven," Mr Delsimone said.

"We will be left with very little option.

"There is area wide management which is a useful tool for controlling population but unfortunately it is not just a solution, once that fly lays that egg in that piece of fruit there is nothing else that can stop that happening."

Alternative action

The WA Department of Agriculture is doing what it can to help ward off the pest.

A spokesman says growers can use the MedFly control option- a systems approach which may include a combination of baiting for fruit fly, trapping the fruit fly, strict orchard hygiene as well as alternative spray options.

"This will involved increased focus on an area wide approach to controlling fruit fly," he said.

"This means every grower, whether they are a commercial grower or landholder with a fruit fly, needs to help control fruit fly."

The department said it is also working on other control methods including the creation of new baits and the introduction of sterile fruit flies.

But the pesticide ban is a non-issue for organic growers says Greg Paynter from the Organic Advisory Service.

"Organics looks at health of whole system, and the key ingredient is the soil," Mr Paynter said.

"If you have the right nutrition in the soil, then the plant isn't missing something before it starts to grow."

"When insects attack the plant, there is a fault in the system. The plant is depleted and the defence system is diminished."

He also said educating growers about pest management could be a healthy resolution for those affected by the ban.

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