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ADAMA to re-evaluate production of insecticides using lambda-cyhalothrin

On Nov. 28, ADAMA Canada announced it is taking time to consult with industry stakeholders before making any decision on the production of products with lambda-cyhalothrin as an active ingredient. The announcement comes as grain companies and farmers’ organizations consider the implications of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s (PMRA’s) ruling to re-evaluate the permitted uses of the synthetic pyrethroid insecticide.

The PMRA issued a re-evaluation decision in April 2021 that required products containing lambda-cyhalothrin to be relabeled with new usage guidelines. Those guidelines include restrictions on the use of the product on many crops and a ban on using any of those crops for feed use. In recent days, some ag industry participants have questioned whether it is feasible to use the product at all considering how difficult it is to trace where crops will be used after they leave the farm.

“We want to understand what the practical implications are behind the re-evaluation decision,” said Cornie Thiessen, general manager of ADAMA Canada, in a press release. “We will be pausing our plans on products featuring lambda-cyhalothrin until we understand the downstream implications of this for grain handlers and growers.”

Thiessen said ADAMA Canada has been and will continue to contact industry leaders in the days ahead to discuss their concerns. The company is keeping its options open, including continuing to offer the products with new labelling or possibly suspending the products. Lambda-cyhalothrin is the active ingredient in two ADAMA products available in Canada – Silencer and Zivata – which are both marketed for use on multiple crops ranging from fruit to canola.