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Reuters: Greek Farmers Use Illegal Chinese Pesticides

Reuters: Greek Farmers Use Illegal Chinese Pesticides

Hellenic Shipping News

With the cost of insecticides, weedkillers, and fungicides on the rise,

With the cost of insecticides, weedkillers, and fungicides on the rise, Greek farmers are resorting to cheaper, but riskier, alternative pesticides imported illegally from China, Reuters reports.

Citing tens of farmers in the region of Thessaly in central Greece, Reuters reports that while these alternative products, mainly obtained in unlabeled plastic bottles, are more effective, they pose a serious threat to public health.

Based on laboratory analyses, Reuters notes these illegal substances contain chemical elements that have been banned in the European Union (EU) for years.

The phenomenon in Greece is indicative of a wider problem also impacting other countries in the EU, the report underlines, quoting farmers, elected officials, competent authorities, and professionals in the pesticide industry.

At least 14% of pesticides currently used in the European Union are illegal, up from around 10% in 2015, according to new data from the European Crop Protection Association.

In certain regions of Greece, the situation is even more alarming, with illegal pesticide use reaching as high as 25%, according to the Hellenic Crop Protection Association (HCPA), which represents agrochemical companies.

A record quantity of 2,040 tons of illegal pesticides was seized across Europe in 2022 — the latest

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