Agrochemical Program Report2005 – 2011

Province of Río NegroPatagonia Argentina

ingenierogentilehu@yahoo.com.ar

The Rio Negro Valley, located in the north of Patagonia

Argentina, known as a region, comprises the lower valleys of

their tributaries the rivers Limay and Neuquén running through the political limits between the

Rio Negro and Neuquen provinces forming an area with

special characteristics.

The Rio Negro River and its main tributaries form a watershed that runs from the Andes Mountains

to the Atlantic Ocean.

Its average annual flow is 1.070 cubic meters per second provided by important rainfalls and snowfalls in the Andes Mountains which has allowed

the development of a zone densely populated with crops along a stretch of one hundred and twenty kilometers.

This productive area comprises one hundred thousand hectares, of which sixty percent is under irrigation.

Approximately forty thousand hectares are planted with apples and pears yielding a production of an estimated one

million two hundred thousand tons of apples and pears which are exported as fresh fruit and sent to juice plants.

Pip fruit production is the most important followed by grapes used entirely for the production of wines and to a

lesser degree stone fruits such as plums, peaches and nectarines – tomatoes and Lucerne.

Given the productive characteristics of the region the use of agrochemicals

is particularly intensive and as a result it was necessary to implement a

Program that would allow to control not only its enforcement (which was and is carried out by different government agencies both national and provincial) but also the transport, storage, safe ways of

use and to train everyone in charge of these agrochemicals down the line.

In the Rio Negro province everything concerning agrochemicals is contemplated in the Provincial Law Nº

2175 known as “The Agrochemical´s Law” and the 729/94 and 366/97 decrees that determine that the Environmental and Ecology Council (CODEMA ) be the enforcement agent

in this matter. CODEMA is in charge of ruling different things to help implement the law and its regulatory

decrees.

Audit the agrochemical warehouses (commercial warehouses and fruit farm

storage rooms).

These regulations serve as a platform for the actions that have been taking place since 2005 together with the private sector to reach the following objectives:

When the Agrochemical Program was carried out the need to audit the total of the agrochemical commercial warehouses in the Rio Negro valley and the provincial middle valley was necessary as it is here that 90 % of the agrochemicals contemplated in the law is used up.

With this in mind a checklist was drawn up bearing in mind the CASAFE demands to certify

the program deposit OK. This program based its demands on questions related to security and hygiene so

it had to adapt to the environmental agenda.

Once this checklist was ready a routine inspection of all

warehouses was carried out.

This work showed the existence of 27 businesses with warehouses that were audited, twenty five of them obtaining the environment certification, two businesses

were not complying with the law so they are one step from closure.

( we must contemplate the Town Hall´s autonomy be respected in each particular case).

To train up the technicians responsible for the agrochemicals from sale companies and the companies who use the

agrochemicals.( It is obligatory for companies and commercial establishments to

hire an agronomist as a Technician responsible for the manipulation of

these agrochemicals).

Then, the training of the fire Brigade, Police, regarding incidents with agrochemicals.

The training and interaction with the Town Halls ( Civil Defense, Environment and Commerce)

so as to reach an efficient control of the agrochemical warehouses and storage rooms.

The training of the rural personnel regarding the correct use of the agrochemicals, all this carried out by the “Sow Conscience” Program.

In the year 2011 the idea of training the teachers from rural schools is put forward .

They are trained in basic principles of toxicology, toxicity and the responsible use of agrochemicals so that they can do pedagogical activities related with

pesticides throughout the school year.

Implement an effective program of collecting the agrochemical containers triple washed.

Once finished the warehouse inspections the audit of warehouses in fruit companies is initiated,

a task that is still being carried out due to the large amount of warehouses to be visited

We must take into account that there is a great disparity in sizes, capacity, structure etc all of which slows down

progress. However we can emphasize the cooperation of the Business Chamber (CAFI) which made communication easier with its

members

To conclude we can say that there are two annual visits or inspections carried out to businesses to verify t

he compliance of the law only one visit to the fruit companies.

As from the year 2005 campaigns have been carried out aiming to collect the containers having been triple washed according to the IRAM Norm 12.069.Bearing this in mind campaigns carried out as joint ventures between the different institutions linked to the fruit production such as INTA, FUNBAPA, Fruit Secretariat (SEF), farmers chambers, irrigation board, Town Halls amongst

others

The CODEMA Resolution 20/10 says that the triple washed containers

are special waste (Not hazardous wastes).This was brought about after samples of plastic triple washed

containers were analyzed by LIBIQUIMIA of the UNCo university.

These containers were triple washed according to IRAM 12.069 treatment.

Two annual collections are carried out.One in the month of April and the other in the month of December.

Some companies and farmers prefer to take their containers directly to a reception centre and final disposal

(located in General Roca and Allen). In the case of Allen containers are received all year round.