On December 2, all three members of ORAMA (AGPB, AGPM and FOP*) met in plenary session and concluded that a warning should be issued to the French Ministry of Agriculture noting the imperative need and urgency for Cruiser, the plant protection product, to be approved for use in 2009.  It was noted that the independent food safety agency, AFSSA, has ruled in favour of approving Cruiser for use on maize.

  If marketing approval is not granted for Cruiser, the entire industry will be confronted with a technical dilemma having an impact on almost a million hectares where a solution has to be found to control soil-borne pests, and in particular diabrotica.  Flowing on from this are issues of productivity and competitiveness for a sector which already has to cope with lower sales prices and production costs which would become increasingly difficult to manage.
 
ORAMA is therefore expecting an objective decision the Ministry of Agriculture, one based on accepted evidence and taking a clear stance in favour of Cruiser.  Any other response would mean that the Ministry is giving in to ideological pressure and lobbying by ecological groups, and potentially threatening a major sector in the national farming economy.  Any delay in giving a response would have a similar effect because of industrial requirements for coating seed.

Contact : Anne KETTANEH - tél. 01.44.31.10.96 – 06.83.22.05.01

* General Association of Wheat & Cereal Growers, General Association of Maize Growers,  French Federation of Oil & Protein Seed Growers