Peruvian quinoa will gain access to a market of 320 million consumers in the United States as the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for azoxystrobin and propiconazole were approved for Peru’s flagship product, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (Minagri) reported.
Minagri’s head Juan Manuel Benites said that in less than a year the National Service for Agricultural Sanitation (Senasa) managed to approve MRLs for two pesticides used in quinoa cultivation, which ensures access of the product into a market of 320 million consumers.
Senasa approved MRLs for azoxystrobin early this month and the approval of MRLs for propiconazole will be published tomorrow. The said pesticides are used by Peru to control mildew, a fungal disease affecting quinoa plantations on the coast and the highlands. This fungus attacks quinoa leaves, which dry up and drop, affecting the cultivation and production.
Approval might be granted for active ingredients: spinosad and spinetoram by the end of this year.
When a shipment of quinoa arrives at U.S. ports, health authorities take a sample to analyze the pesticide residue levels.
Taking into account the precautionary principle, the load is rejected if pesticides in the imported product do not match the MRLs established.
According to Benites, these approvals will prevent quinoa from being rejected, since producers will use pesticides properly.
“This way, exports of our grain will expand to such an important market,” he explained.
(END) JJN/JJN/RMB
Published: 12/22/2015