Organisations and companies from the Dutch onion sector have urgently requested the postponement of the European reevaluation of MH. “Considering the crucial importance of MH for the onion sector, we cannot approve it if the reevaluation is not done by a fully-fledged test concerning content because of procedural reasons,” according to a report on the website of Holland Onion Associations.
“The onion is a prominent pillar of the Dutch agricultural sector. An area of almost 33,000 hectares of seed onions yields an onion harvest of more than 1.5 million tonnes. Of this, more than 90 per cent is meant for global export to more than 120 countries, with a value of approximately half a billion euro. The Netherlands is, with an export share of 15 to 20 per cent, the largest player on the global market. A long export season and the accessibility of far-off export destinations are dependent on the availability of a good sprout inhibitor. Currently, the only sprout inhibitors suitable to that end are based on the active chemical maleic hydrazide (MH).”
Public health is very important for the GroentenFruit Huis and LTO Nederland. We therefore are a proponent of a frequent reevaluation of the admission of active substances by independent authorities qualified to do so. For that, advanced scientific understanding can reveal whether a chemical should get a limited or no reregistration anymore, for a reason such as food safety or the environment. However, MH is now in danger of losing its admission due to procedural reasons. At the end of October 2017, the current European admission for MH will expire. A concept review report of the EFSA is currently up for discussion in the EU. It is expected that a vote will take place among the member countries about the admission of MH after October 2017 in March.
“In its opinion about the admission of MH, the EFSA reports that information is missing in the request for admission. The European admission process, however, offers no opportunity anymore to supply the missing information. The requisite — supportive — research for that has already started. The resulting data is expected to be completed at the end of 2017, which should also be assessed after thorough analysis. There are currently no proper alternatives available for MH. The onion sector continues to constantly innovate in order to continue to supply good, healthy and reliable quality, and to show a recognisable Dutch face in the field of sustainability. We as a sector dedicate ourselves to make this happen daily, for a healthy perspective in our sector.”
The admission of MH is keeping the onion sector very occupied. In the programme De Zeeuwse Kamer from Omroep Zeeland, Gijsbrecht Gunter (Committee onion trade GroentenFruit Huis) and Lindert Moerdijk (MSP Uienhandel) were invited to turn their attention to this matter. “The onions still enjoy a truly free market, and cultivation has proven to be profitable for cultivators. That is also why the sector has grown so considerably, because export keeps increasing,” Lindert Moerdijk says.
“With our new location in Nieuwdorp, we are in the centre of the cultivation area, and right by the port. As much as 80 per cent of our onions can be exported via the Port of Vlissingen. In a calm week, we export fifty containers, but in a busy week we export more than one hundred containers. That is how capricious the market is,” the onion exporter indicates.
That growth could stop if sprout inhibitor MH is no longer allowed. “The chemical is evaluated every few years, which is a good thing. But what is happening now, is that the EFSA asked additional questions of the authorisation holder at a very late stage. There was insufficient time to answer those questions, and now, because of that, people are suggesting to not allow the chemical at all, and to stop marketing the chemical as of October 2017,” Gijsbrecht explains the current procedure. “We think that this should not be allowed to happen, and that is why we are dedicated to giving the authorisation holder time to do that research properly and proficiently.”
In March the proposal will be put to the vote in the European Commission. “It would be catastrophic. It has enormous consequences, especially for Zeeland. It would mean finishing sorting in January, because the onions will no longer be suitable for export after that time, and 95 per cent of onions cultivated in the Netherlands is meant for export. Fifteen hundred people would be out of a job, and that would be a massive problem,” Lindert says.
Gijsbrecht calls for the content and the process to be seperate. “We have received very friendly responses, and we have also, from politicians, received motions and questions from the House. Politicians should not meddle in content, no matter how tempting. It should not be the case that politicians decide whether a chemical is good or not. We have organisations to do that. But if the procedures are not good enough, then politicians should interfere!”