Farmers apply DCD to pastures to prevent nitrate, a fertiliser byproduct that can also cause health problems, from getting into rivers and lakes, according to the WSJ.
Ravensdown, one of the country’s largest fertiliser companies, is suspending the sales and application of its eco-n product which contains DCD.
Greg Campbell Ravensdown chief executive, said: “The reputation of New Zealand as a quality food producer is as important to us as it is to our farmer owners. So it is reassuring that both the MPI’s and our own peer-reviewed research shows there are no food safety issues with DCD or eco-n.
“What’s changed is that last year, organisations like the US Food and Drug Administration added DCD to a list of substances to test for. This, combined with increasingly sophisticated scanning technology now presents a possible trade risk. Given the risk to NZ’s dairy export reputation, Ravensdown has taken the initiative and is suspending the single product which uses DCD for this calendar year.”
In December last year, the ministry for primary industries initiated a working party to assess the use of dicyandiamide (DCD) on farm land. The working group comprises representatives from MPI, Fonterra, the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand and fertiliser companies Ravensdown and Ballance.
The working group was set up after testing on whole milk powder detected the occasional presence of low levels of DCD coinciding with the times of the year that the product is applied.
DCD, which is applied to pasture in autumn, winter and spring, has been used to reduce nitrate leaching and greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand for nearly a decade.
Source: WSJ/Ravensdown
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024