Peanuts:

Argentina begins pesticide analysis of peanuts headed for export

By Andres H. Georgalos

Georgalos Peanut World

Río Segundo, Cordoba Province, Argentina, June 11, 2009 – In an agreement with governmental agencies, Argentina’s major peanut trade group has established a system to test peanuts for pesticide residue before they are exported. The agreement was signed this week between the Argentine Peanut Chamber (Association) and the province of Cordoba, the country’s main peanut-production center.

In the agreement, the Ministry of Science and Technology will sample shelled peanuts that are packed and ready for export to determine the presence of pesticide residue.

The analysis will be made by the Pesticides Laboratory of the CEPROCOR, the ministry’s Cordoba Center for Excellence in Production and Processing.

This was necessary for the peanut sector because it now must present certification on shipments found for the European Union, showing that peanuts are free of pesticides not approved in the EU. The analysis must be certified by a governmental entity.

If residues are found, CEPROCOR will advise producers on means to correct problems.

Jorge Bossio, president of the Argentine Peanut Chamber, said that the "signature of the agreement has been a long-term goal of the chamber. Obtaining this agreement has been a necessary and valuable project for the peanut sector, which is an important and historic part of the Cordoban economy."

Peanuts are a significant part of the livelihood of 30 communities in the south-central portion of the province, he added. The peanut industry in Cordoba has created 12,000 direct jobs in peanut production and support industries, plus several thousand additional jobs in handling, processing and shipping, Bossio said.

“This demonstrates the strength of an industry that exports manufactured foods with added value," Bossio added. “We are not just producing a commodity.”

The president of the Chamber also noted that "more than 60 countries worldwide, from Canada to South Africa, from China to Morocco, from Chile to Kuwait, know Cordoba for its peanuts, peanut flours and peanut butter,” he said.

The phrase, Peanut of Cordoba, is now the equivalent of a trademarked identifier that peanut processors include on packaging.

The agreement, Bossio said, has “an immense value” and is part of his organization’s overall Program of Pesticides Residuals Monitoring in the Argentine peanut crop.

GEORGALOS PEANUT WORLD

An Information Service with Independent Opinion, for Transparency in the Peanut Market

DIRECTOR  & OWNER: ANDRES HARILAOS GEORGALOS

BUSINESS OPERATOR

GEORGALOS PEANUT WORLD

Sarmiento 1664 - (X5960ETY) Río Segundo - Cba – Argentina

Tel / Fax: +54 (0) 3572 42 1809

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