Plant protection

Location and documentation of the purchase of PPPs

Plant protection products are products that can be relatively easily falsified due to the dispersion of their marketing and use. Falsified plant protection products can lead to loss of yield, as well as damage to the health of users and even consumers.

A farmer can only be sure of both the effect and the safety of use if he buys genuine plant protection products. Plant protection products should only be purchased from legal outlets. Only plant protection products authorised for sale in our country may be purchased in original, tightly closed, undamaged packaging with a permanently legible label written in Polish. It is important to check that the packaging is not damaged or open and the expiry date, so as not to buy preparations that are out of date.

It is advisable to buy only the preparations necessary for the current crop protection measures, in quantities that are not more than sufficient. It is not advisable to buy “to stock up” in order not to store plant protection products and thus pose a danger on your farm or cause them to expire. The seller of plant protection products is obliged to provide the buyer with information on the hazards and risks associated with the use of the preparation in question and to inform the buyer of alternative methods of protection. It is absolutely necessary to avoid buying plant protection products in door-to-door trade, at markets, from unknown persons or at bargain prices, as the danger of buying fake preparations in such places and situations is enormous. If you have any doubts, clarify them at the time of purchase or immediately by contacting the manufacturer’s representative or the Plant Protection and Seed Inspection Service. On the farm, there is often a situation of changing planned plant protection measures, which makes it necessary to have up-to-date knowledge of the quantity and nature of the preparations held. A well-kept record of purchases and disbursements of plant protection products allows the farmer to make accurate purchases of new preparations and protects him against the expiry of those already possessed. To avoid the risk of out-of-date preparations and to reduce the risk to people and the environment in the event of fire or flooding in the warehouse, the amount of plant protection products stored on the farm should be minimised. A good rule of thumb is to keep sufficient stock for less than six months of operation.

According to the principles of Integrated Pest Management, the farmer is obliged to do his utmost to ensure that the plant protection measures carried out do not pose a risk, and the need to carry out a chemical treatment does not relieve him of the responsibility to choose the right product and be certain that the product purchased is what it’s supposed to be. Therefore, plant protection products should only be purchased from shops and wholesalers that are registered and inspected by WIORiN. On the website piorin.gov.pl, you can find the contact details of the Inspectorate branches where you can check the entitlement of traders to trade in plant protection products. Before buying, check that the label is in Polish and that it is firmly attached to the packaging. Always ask for a proof of purchase (receipt, invoice), without which you cannot make a claim in the event of a possible complaint. The purchase of any capital good needed for agricultural production, especially those involving risks associated with their use, should be documented for the safety of the farmer himself. In the event of any malfunction or failure to perform as expected, the purchase document is the basis for any complaints and claims, and in the event of risk to human health or life, also a document in legal proceedings. The purchase documents should be kept in a way that makes it possible for the farmer to link them with other farm documentation.