Mato Grosso do Sul was declared in a state of “phytosanitary emergency” due to the Helicoverpa armigera outbreak. The decision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa) was published through ordinance number 266 in the Official Gazette of the Union (DOU) this last Thursday (02.02).
The decision authorizes the “implementation of the plague suppression plan and adoption of emergency measures”. In practice, this means the release of the use of insecticides based on emamectin benzoate – which are not yet definitively registered in the country.
The substance is considered by several experts to be the most effective active ingredient in controlling the pest, but is resisted by environmental activists and Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) itself, which considers its toxicity to be beyond tolerable limits.
