Export destinations for California almonds continue to look at changes to Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). The issue was one of many that was highlighted at the recent MRL Workshop in San Diego. Director for Sustainability and Environmental Affairs for the Almond Board of California (ABC), Gabriele Ludwig said changing MRLs will likely increase the need for more communication within the industry.
“We’re trying to figure out how do we help that communication stream,” Ludwig noted. “We’re looking at, where do we have what I call ‘problem children,’ and letting handlers know. Then the handlers can choose to communicate that to their growers, yes or no, depending on which markets they’re exporting to or what the issues are that they’re facing.”
Efforts in the European Union (EU) to reduce pesticide use by 50 percent by 2030 is of particular importance. Ludwig said approximately 25 percent of the California almond crop is exported to the EU. Mexico is another export market that appears to be shifting its attitude on pesticide use. “We don’t know how much longer they will defer to U.S. tolerances, or whether at some point in time they’re going to say ‘you have to follow our own tolerances’ whatever that is,” said Ludwig.
Industry members can stay up to date on what the current MRL landscape looks like through the International Maximum Residue Limit Database. However, Ludwig noted that it does not include changing MRLs that may be on the horizon. The efforts in the EU and other export markets create a situation where handlers will likely have a more active role in dictating production parameters to growers.
“I am expecting that in the future, especially if EU is a large part of a handler’s portfolio, that we may get more of ‘please don’t use X, Y, Z compounds so we don’t get residues that could cause us issues in the EU.’ Now mind you, it’s not just on the grower side. There are also residues coming from the post-harvest facility,” Ludwig explained. “The handlers themselves and the huller/shellers need to take a look at their pesticide use as well.”
To stay up to date on changing MRLs and other foreign market regulations, listen to the Almond Byte segments on the Almond Journey Podcast channel.
Listen to Ludwig’s interview below.
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