WOOLGROWERS across Australia are being made aware of the risk of locust sprays on sheep jeopardising their clips’ eligibility for niche markets.
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The Merino Company’s grower services manager Claire Drum said she was making TMC growers aware of the risk of contamination of wool by some active ingredients in locust spray formulations.
A comparison of the areas where spraying was likely and where TMC was sourcing wool indicated a low and reduced risk of contamination, but it was a possibility, she said.
“There is a risk factor there, but given the northern areas still don’t have many sheep around, the risk is low.”
Active ingredients in locust sprays of concern to TMC for the marketing of wool under its EU-Eco platform include Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, Cypermethrin and Alpha-cypermethrin.
Organic wool growers would also need to be “flagged” about the chemical risk posed by some of the sprays, Ms Drum said.
“The issue is if there is spray drift or if they are spraying near sheep then there is risk that you will have external application of one of these active ingredients and it could come up in a test if it is being tested for.
“The grower may not be aware of it, not even consider it, because it is not related in his mind.”
Ms Drum said wool contaminated with Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, Cypermethrin or Alpha-cypermethrin may not pass testing requirements for TMC’s EU-Eco platform.
CSIRO advice indicated that sunlight broke down the active ingredients in wool, rather than washing, she said.
Growers could do an uncertified test to determine if their wool was contaminated before shearing, she said.
“But I think to a degree it is unnecessary extra cost.
“If they want to find out once their wool is in the bale they can do a certified test through AWTA that is recognised under EU standards,” Ms Drum said.
“If they get contaminated, they are contaminated, there is not much they can do.
“But by being aware of the risk maybe they will not declare (EU-Eco compliance) without being aware of the possibility (of contamination).”
The Australian Wool Testing Authority’s sampling operations manager for eastern Australia, Tim Steere, said sheep are unlikely to be sprayed unless caught in spray drift and there had been no extra requests for testing of wool potentially contaminated by locust sprays.
Laboratory operations manager for AWTA’s Agrifood division, Doreen Fernandez, said no correlation had yet been done between locust spray ingredients and their presence in wool.
