After consultation with a range of end-users, and following requests from members, AIC is now issuing a revised post harvest pesticide declaration form.  The purpose in doing so is to address the demands for information from the oilseed crushing sector in relation to GM crops.

Members involved in oilseed trading will be aware of demands from crushers, both in the UK and elsewhere in the EU, for statements to be confirmed that oilseed crops delivered to crushing plants are not required to be labelled in accordance with the impending legislation on GM Food and Feed, which comes into force on 18 April this year.

To ensure that this confirmation on the status of the crop is transferred from farm of crop origin to the crush it has been agreed that for the UK, the passport provides an ideal tool for both increasing awareness and confirming that the crop in question does not need to be labelled as GM.

Our aim, in consultation with the crushers, has been to develop something which achieves the aim but at the same time does not have any negative practical impacts which would lead to increases in delays and rejections.  Consequently the final version of the new section has undergone a number of revisions before it was settled.

All new business conducted by crushers, both here and in the EU, will, as mentioned earlier, require this information to be provided and therefore members should consider introducing the revised passport for their trading operations as soon as possible.

Issued by Paul Rooke, Head of Policy, External Relations