The Ministry of Agriculture has ordered the destruction of sugar beet plots in the north and east of France after the detection of toxicity phenomena in fields treated with a herbicide produced by the company Adama, we have learned Friday from the ministry.
Two batches of this product called "Marquis" were deemed "non-compliant due to the presence, at varying rates, of three active substances banned in the European Union", explained the ministry in a note.
The "phytotoxicity" (toxicity of a chemical substance for plant growth) reported at the end of May and end of June to the Ministry of Agriculture "is linked to errors during the stages of formulation and packaging of the products carried out in the factories of the Adama company in Israel, ”according to the ministry.
Investigations are underway “to find out the origin of this cross-contamination during the manufacturing process”.
The list of users of the Marquis amounts to date to 273 planters, located in Hauts-de-France and the Grand Est, according to the ministry.
1.5% of national production will be destroyed
Some 500,000 tonnes of sugar beets will have to be destroyed, said Cyril Cogniard, president of the General Confederation of Beet Planters (CGB) Champagne-Burgundy. This estimate, which corresponds to around 1.5% of national production, is not confirmed by the ministry. "After jaundice, frost is a hard blow for planters, but they understand that the precautionary principle is applied," said Cyril Cogniard.
The ministry explains to have "made the choice of the precaution", by ordering the destruction of the plots treated with these two batches of Marquis, "because of a consumer risk not excluded" by the ANSES, the national agency of the security sanitary.
Planters are currently receiving letters from the ministry informing them of its decision.
According to Cyril Coignard, some 5,000 hectares are concerned, in the Marne, the Ardennes, Aube and Aisne.
"The consumer is 100% protected, but the farmer is 100% affected, he must destroy everything without knowing if he will be compensated," he said.
Another problematic case
Discussions with the company Adama are underway to find an "amicable agreement", he continues. Adama "made a mistake, the farmers were victims of it, they must be compensated quickly", he continued. Another herbicide from the company Adama is implicated. Six batches of the "Goltix Duo" product were found to be non-compliant due to the presence of diflufenican, an active substance approved in the EU, authorized on cereals but not on beets, the ministry said.
At least 592 planters, from the northern half of France, are concerned.
The consignment of the batches of non-conforming Marquis and Goltix Duo was ordered on June 30.
For its part, Adama France asked its distributors to block the sales and use of non-compliant batches and to remind users of them from May 21 for the Goltix Duo and June 23 for the Marquis, the ministry said.
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