Bolivia approves only 132 out of 1,000 new agrochemical requests

Over five years, Bolivia's National Service of Agricultural Health and Food Safety (Senasag) has approved only 132 out of 1,000 requests for the registration of new agrochemicals. This data was released as a warning by the Bolivian Association of Suppliers of Agricultural Inputs, Goods, and Services (Aprisa) and the Association of Agricultural Input Suppliers (APIA).

According to them, despite advancements in new pesticide products, which have become more sustainable, they are not being utilized in Bolivia due to delays in their approval by the competent authority. The entities warn that this threatens agricultural production in Bolivia, as by 2025 there may be a shortage of inputs for the sector. This is because the country must comply with Decision 804 of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), which stipulates that all Chemical Pesticides for Agricultural Use (PQUA) registered in the country must be reassessed by June 25 of next year.

The two associations of input importers agreed that before 2017, Senasag conducted a more agile and less bureaucratic registration process. With the implementation of CAN regulations, the Government included the Ministries of Health and Sports (MSyD) and Environment and Water (MAyA) in the process, increasing fees that tripled the costs for the registration of new imported products.

Aprisa's president, Jorge Araníbar, emphasized that the rule states that a response should be given within 90 days. "Four years go by and we have no response. Technology advances by leaps and bounds, and if a new product emerges today that is more environmentally friendly, it can only be used in Bolivia in four years," lamented Araníbar.

He argues that this gap forces producers to continue using old products that were registered several years ago. According to the executive, nearly 100 importing companies are affected, and each registration request requires payment of between $10,000 and $15,000. "Each bioassay costs around US$ 800, with repetitions. Then it is necessary to assemble the folders, present them, and pay the fees to Senasag, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of the Environment. Three fees must be paid," revealed Araníbar.

On the other hand, Martín Ascarrunz, president of APIA, highlighted that more than five years after the implementation of the new national regulations based on CAN, it is with great concern that the progress of the evaluation and registration process by the Competent National Authority (Senasag) has only achieved the approval of approximately 132 registrations out of a total of almost 1,000 requests.

"That is, approximately 26 registrations per year. Previously, 470 registrations were made per year; This pace will not allow us to meet the deadline established in Decision 804," he expressed.

He added that "to all this, we must add the technological delay that Bolivian agriculture faces due to the lack of registration of new molecules in the last five years, unlike what happens in neighboring countries, which have increased productivity and reduced environmental and health impacts thanks to them," he said.

Likewise, he emphasized that the situation may cause a shortage of inputs for the agricultural sector and an increase in smuggled, counterfeit, or adulterated products.

"On the other hand, this not only affects the State directly in its tax collection but also affects the formal employment provided by importers, in addition to putting phytosanitary control at risk and causing damage to health and the environment. Similarly, small and medium-sized farmers are deprived, above all, of financing, technical assistance, and direct logistics for their exploitation, which only formal importers provide," said Ascarrunz.

Jorge Araníbar highlighted that the input supply sector for the field imports about US$ 370 million per year, which translates into US$ 600 million in the local market, taking into account tax payments and the value-added that occurs. technical assistance, and others. He considered that without bank loans for the acquisition of these types of goods, APIA and Aprisa provide loans to producers.

"There are no agricultural loans and there is no insurance of this type. We, the importing companies, are the ones who provide the resources for agriculture to work. There is no promotion of agricultural production," Araníbar concluded.

He emphasized that the damage is not only to the importing sector but also to small producers, as 70% of soybean producers have less than 500 hectares, according to data from the Anapo (Association of Oilseed Producers).