A major herbicide recall is under way, sparking concerns that Australia’s clean and green vegetable industry could be in jeopardy.
The Weekly Times reports agrochemical giant Syngenta is recalling 60,000 litres of Gesagard, one of the most common herbicides sprayed on Australian vegetables — including carrots, celery, leaks and peas — to control weeds.
This comes just months after Syngenta recalled 80,000 litres of contaminated herbicides and assured farmers the contamination was an “isolated incident”, and that further herbicides, including Gesagard, had been “rigorously” tested and met “stringent quality standards”.
Documents seen by The Weekly Times show the 60,000 litres of Gesagard were allegedly contaminated during the manufacturing process at Accensi in Brisbane and contained chemicals such as atrazine.
