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GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES TO MAINTAIN THE RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM RESIDUE LEVELS (MRLs) IN COCOA BEANS AND PRODUCTS : THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE1 (Pages : 6 - 12)
DONGO, L.N. and ASOGWA E.U.In agricultural production, most farmers use pesticides to control insect pests, diseases and weeds, to ensure the quality standards imposed by buyers and processors. Residues from these pesticides may remain in the products even after processing. Foods and products containing residues that comply with the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) are “toxicologically acceptable”. However, exceeding the MRLs can indicate over-use of pesticides but it is not regarded as safety level. The MRLs are crop-pesticide specific, which means that maximum limits for one pesticide may vary depending on the crop it is used on. For instance, the MRLs of a cocoa pesticide can differ from the MRLs of that same pesticide on kola, cashew, coffee or tea. The MRLs are determined on the basis of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). Besides the level determined on the basis of GAP, also scientific data showing toxicology of the substance and its effects on human health are taken into account. The new EU harmonized pesticide residue legislation introduced limits that could severely affect cocoa exports, which will adversely affect cocoa production. The cocoa sector as a whole needs to act immediately to ensure that the appropriate MRLs are in place or else the cocoa economy of Nigeria could dwindle further, ultimately affecting the livelihoods of the individuals and families in the business.Download