1. Agrochemical Program Report
2005 – 2011
Province of Río Negro
Patagonia Argentina
ingenierogentilehu@yahoo.com.ar

2. The Rio Negro Valley, located in
the north of Patagonia Argentina,
known as a region, comprises the lower
valleys of their tributaries the rivers
Limay and Neuquén running through
the political limits between the Rio
Negro and Neuquen provinces forming
an area with special characteristics.

3. The Rio Negro River and its main
tributaries form a watershed that runs
from the Andes Mountains to the
Atlantic Ocean.

4. Its average annual flow is 1.070 cubic meters per second provided
by important rainfalls and snowfalls in the Andes Mountains which has allowed
the development of a zone densely populated with crops
along a stretch of one hundred and twenty kilometers.

5. This productive area comprises one hundred thousand hectares, of
which sixty percent is under irrigation. Approximately forty thousand
hectares are planted with apples and pears yielding a production of an
estimated one million two hundred thousand tons of apples and pears
which are exported as fresh fruit and sent to juice plants.

6. Pip fruit production is the most important followed
by grapes used entirely for the production of wines and to a
lesser degree stone fruits such as plums,
peaches and nectarines – tomatoes and Lucerne.

7. Given the productive characteristics of the region the use of agrochemicals
is particularly intensive and as a result it was necessary to implement a
Program that would allow to control not only its enforcement
(which was and is carried out by different government agencies both national and
provincial) but also the transport, storage, safe ways of use and to train
everyone in charge of these agrochemicals down the line.

8. In the Rio Negro province everything concerning
agrochemicals is contemplated in the Provincial Law Nº 2175 known as
“The Agrochemical´s Law” and the 729/94 and 366/97 decrees that
determine that the Environmental and Ecology Council (CODEMA ) be
the enforcement agent in this matter. CODEMA is in charge of ruling
different things to help implement the law and its regulatory decrees.

9. Audit the agrochemical warehouses
(commercial warehouses and fruit farm storage rooms).

10. These regulations serve as a platform for the actions
that have been taking place since 2005 together with
the private sector to reach the following objectives:

11. When the Agrochemical Program was carried out
the need to audit the total of the agrochemical commercial
warehouses in the Rio Negro valley and the provincial
middle valley was necessary as it is here that 90 % of the
agrochemicals contemplated in the law is used up.

12. With this in mind a checklist was drawn up
bearing in mind the CASAFE demands to certify
the program deposit OK. This program based its demands
on questions related to security and hygiene so
it had to adapt to the environmental agenda.

13. Once this checklist was ready a routine
inspection of all warehouses was carried
out.

14. This work showed the existence of 27 businesses
with warehouses that were audited, twenty five of them obtaining
the environment certification, two businesses were not complying
with the law so they are one step from closure.
( we must contemplate the Town Hall´s autonomy be respected in
each particular case).

15. To train up the technicians responsible for the agrochemicals
from sale companies and the companies who use the agrochemicals.
( It is obligatory for companies and commercial establishments to hire
an agronomist as a Technician responsible for the manipulation of these
agrochemicals).

16. Then, the training of the fire Brigade, Police,
regarding incidents with agrochemicals.

17. The training and interaction with the Town Halls
( Civil Defense, Environment and Commerce)
so as to reach an efficient control of the
agrochemical warehouses and storage rooms.

18. The training of the rural personnel regarding
the correct use of the agrochemicals, all this
carried out by the “Sow Conscience” Program.

19. In the year 2011 the idea of training the teachers
from rural schools is put forward .
They are trained in basic principles of toxicology,
toxicity and the responsible use of agrochemicals so
that they can do pedagogical activities related with
pesticides throughout the school year.

20. Implement an effective program of collecting the agrochemical containers triple washed.

22. Once finished the warehouse inspections the audit of warehouses
in fruit companies is initiated,
a task that is still being carried out due to
the large amount of warehouses to be visited

23. We must take into account that there is a great disparity in sizes, capacity,
structure etc all of which slows down progress.
However we can emphasize the cooperation of the Business Chamber
(CAFI) which made communication easier with its members

24. To conclude we can say that there are two annual visits
or inspections carried out to businesses to verify t
he compliance of the law only one visit to the fruit companies.

25. As from the year 2005 campaigns have been carried out aiming to collect the
containers having been triple washed according to the IRAM Norm
12.069.Bearing this in mind campaigns carried out as joint ventures between
the different institutions linked to the fruit production such as INTA,
FUNBAPA, Fruit Secretariat (SEF), farmers chambers, irrigation board, Town
Halls amongst others

26. The CODEMA Resolution 20/10 says that the triple washed containers
are special waste (Not hazardous wastes).This was brought about after
samples of plastic triple washed
containers were analyzed by LIBIQUIMIA of the UNCo university.
These containers were triple washed according to IRAM 12.069 treatment.

27. Two annual collections are carried out.
One in the month of April and the other in the month of December.

28. Some companies and farmers prefer to take their containers
directly to a reception centre and final disposal
(located in General Roca and Allen).
In the case of Allen containers are received all year round.