Pesticides imported into UAE under strict scrutiny

DUBAI - All pesticides imported into the UAE will be registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries under a new registration procedure adopted by the ministry from this month.

By Meraj Rizvi

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Published: Sat 31 Jan 2004, 12:45 PM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 2:32 AM

The new registration procedure entails a strict scrutiny of the pesticides and its chemical components ensuring that the pesticides types entering the country meet necessary specifications to protect plant and human health and maintain a healthy environment, said Abdullah Mohammed Al Amiri, Director of Plant Protection and Extension Department at the Ministry. He said a special 'Pesticide Registration Committee' was formed to study all documents and specifications declared by local agencies on behalf of the overseas manufacturers for pesticides.

Each manufacturer seeking export of pesticides to its local agent in the UAE will have to furnish necessary details on the chemical component of each type of pesticide, in addition to other specifications such as manufacturing and expiry date and health hazards, if any, posed by the product. These details should be furnished in a CD to the ministry.

In addition, the CD will furnish complete technical data including toxicity studies, registration and use certificate from the country of origin, label accepted from registration authority of country of origin, and report of field trials locally carried on this pesticide.

Mr Al Amiri pointed out that once these documents are carefully studied and approved by the committee, the ministry would issue registration numbers to each of the pesticide type that will be permitted to enter the country. This will save time for importers from furnishing details to the ministry of the type and contents of each and every pesticide variety prior to import, the official said, adding that registration numbers allocated to each type will be enough to seek import permission.

He disclosed that 69 pesticide varieties are already banned from import in the UAE. "We are still studying the toxicity of several pesticide variety that pose threat to human and plant health," he added.

According to Mr Al Amiri, the new registration procedures commenced in January 2004 and have already received good response with a large number of CDs having arrived from overseas manufacturers for approval and registration numbers.


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