Viterra Australia bans canola treated with haloxyfop

Grain aggregator Viterra Australia will not receive canola treated with the herbicide haloxyfop from the 2024-25 harvest to ensure continued access to the EU market.

Growers were advised of this change prior to the last harvest, giving the opportunity to review chemical use, according to Viterra.

The change comes after the EU confirmed in January it would reduce the maximum residue limit (MRL) for the herbicide haloxyfop on canola from 0.2 mg/kg to 0.05 mg/kg from 19 August this year. Industry group Grain Trade Australia in response requested growers not to use haloxyfop, to ensure crops do not have residues above the EU's new limit and advised growers to use alternative herbicides to maintain EU market access.

The EU is Australia's largest export destination for canola and where it is mainly used in biofuel production. In 2023, 41pc of all canola exports were sent to the EU, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

Market access to the EU is becoming more challenging for Australian agriculture exporters. The introduction of the EU Deforestation Regulation in December has raised concerns with some industry representatives, as they see the EU as unilaterally setting trade terms and introducing requirements irrelevant to Australian production systems.

The EU announced in 2023 its intention to reduce the MRL for haloxyfop on canola from 0.2 mg/kg to 0.005 mg/kg, which is below the 0.05mg/kg coming into force in August. Industry bodies collectively warned that market access would be jeopardised if 2023-24 season canola treated with haloxyfob was delivered into the grain handling system, as the then-current label directions would result in crops with residues exceeding the EU's indicative MRL limit.

Australian bulk handler GrainCorp confirmed deliveries of canola treated with haloxyfop have been banned since the 2023-24 harvest.

By Edward Dunlop