Agriculture

New Zealand EPA Approves Vibrance Premium Fungicide Seed Treatment for Potatoes

In early April 2026, the New Zealand EPA approved Syngenta’s Vibrance Premium seed-treatment fungicide for potatoes under the HSNO Act, introducing the new active ingredient sedaxane alongside fludioxonil under approval HSR101719 with strict environmental and groundwater-related controls. For crop-protection suppliers and potato growers, this creates a new control option with a distinct mode of action but also tight professional‑use, rate, sowing-frequency and groundwater-management conditions that must be built into stewardship, labeling, and operational practices pending separate Ministry for Primary Industries approval.

10 Apr 2026, 15:43epa.govt.nzNew Zealand

France Launches 2026 Écoantibio 3 Call for Projects on Animal Antimicrobial Use

France has opened the 2026 Écoantibio 3 call for projects to fund research, surveillance and practice-change initiatives that reduce antimicrobial and antiparasitic use in animal health, with proposals due by **1 June 2026** via the national Démarche Numérique portal. For veterinary pharmaceutical companies, feed producers and livestock supply chains, this signals continued government focus and funding for antimicrobial stewardship, shaping best practices, surveillance expectations and the direction of future AMR policy.

10 Apr 2026, 15:07agriculture.gouv.frFrance

France: Marseille Court Convicts Six Farmers and Supplier for Trafficking Banned Pesticides

In April 2026, the Marseille criminal court handed down prison terms, heavy fines, subsidy bans and civil‑damage awards against six farmers and their supplier for trafficking and using banned pesticides (including metam sodium and mancozeb) on vegetable and fruit crops in Drôme and Bouches‑du‑Rhône.[^1^](https://fnepaca.fr/communique-presse/juridique-trafic-de-pesticides-interdits-6-agriculteurs-et-leur-fournisseur#:~:text=Alain%20HEBRARD)[^2^](https://fnepaca.fr/communique-presse/juridique-trafic-de-pesticides-interdits-6-agriculteurs-et-leur-fournisseur#:~:text=Parmi%20les%20substances%20interdites%20retrouv%C3%A9es) This high‑profile case signals tougher enforcement of existing EU/French pesticide bans, showing that agricultural operators and upstream buyers who ignore substance prohibitions risk custodial sentences, loss of public support and reputational exposure across branded food supply chains.[^1^](https://fnepaca.fr/communique-presse/juridique-trafic-de-pesticides-interdits-6-agriculteurs-et-leur-fournisseur#:~:text=Le%20tribunal%20est%20all%C3%A9%20au%2Ddel%C3%A0%20des%20r%C3%A9quisitions)

10 Apr 2026, 13:41fnepaca.frFrance

Italy Adopts Emergency Plant Health Action Plans for Popillia japonica in Liguria and Veneto

Italy’s plant‑health authority has made Ordinance 12/2026 effective from 30 January 2026, approving detailed emergency action plans to eradicate or contain Popillia japonica in newly demarcated areas of Liguria and Veneto.[^1^](http://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2026/04/07/26A01683/SG)[^2^](https://www.protezionedellepiante.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/masaf-2026-0046615-odsfc12papopillialiguriaeveneto_signed.pdf) For growers, nurseries, turf producers and logistics operators in these zones, the plans mean long‑term seasonal bans and strict controls on soil, plant residues, host plants and high‑risk sites, requiring changes to irrigation, movement, pest‑control and plant‑passporting practices to avoid sanctions and further spread.

10 Apr 2026, 13:39gazzettaufficiale.itItaly

Italy Agriculture Ministry Adopts Emergency Action Plan for Anoplophora glabripennis in Veneto

Italy’s agriculture ministry has approved an emergency regional action plan for the Asian longhorned beetle (*Anoplophora glabripennis*) in Veneto, with Ordinance No. 13 effective from 30 January 2026 and published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 7 April 2026.[^1^](http://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2026/04/07/26A01682/SG#:~:text=Adozione%20di%20misure%20fitosanitarie%20d'emergenza) This locks Veneto into the EU plant‑health regime for this priority quarantine pest, meaning nurseries, municipalities and wood‑supply operators in the region must align local surveillance, host‑tree removal and movement controls with the annexed action plan and its implementation of EU rules.

10 Apr 2026, 13:37gazzettaufficiale.itItaly

EU Parliament ENVI Committee Tables Amendments 29–278 to CAP Support Conditions 2028–2034

ENVI committee members have tabled a large package of amendments (29–278) to the draft CAP support regulation for 2028–2034 that would tie more of the budget to climate, biodiversity, pollution control, protein crops and higher animal‑welfare standards. If carried into the final post‑2027 CAP, these changes would strengthen conditionality on harmful pesticides and other inputs, expand support for agroecological and regenerative systems, and increase the share of CAP funding linked to measurable environmental and One Health outcomes.

10 Apr 2026, 12:39europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

China: Sichuan Province Adopts Livestock and Poultry Farming Pollutant Discharge Standard DB51/3352-2026

Sichuan has adopted local standard DB51/3352‑2026, effective 1 October 2026, setting region‑differentiated effluent, odour and solid manure limits for large‑scale livestock and poultry farms and replacing previous basin‑specific provisions for these operations. Farm operators in key control areas will need to upgrade wastewater and manure management systems and plan to meet tighter discharge limits within the 18‑month grace period for existing facilities, or risk non‑compliance with permitting and inspection requirements.

10 Apr 2026, 12:35sthjt.sc.gov.cnChina

EFSA Online Training on Evaluating Emergency Authorisations of Pesticides Using EFSA Protocol

EFSA will hold three online training editions in May–June 2026 on applying its protocol to evaluate emergency authorisations of insecticide and acaricide uses under the EU Plant Protection Products Regulation. Companies and growers that rely on emergency authorisations may wish to attend or review materials so that future applications better reflect EFSA’s expectations on alternative controls and action plans, improving approval prospects and avoiding repeated emergency derogations.

10 Apr 2026, 11:10efsa.europa.euEuropean Union

EU Parliament AGRI Committee Publishes Amendments To Draft Report On Organic Regulation 2018/848

The European Parliament’s AGRI committee has published 228 amendments to its draft report on COM(2025) 780, the proposal to amend Organic Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on production, labelling, certification and trade with third countries.[^1^](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/AGRI-AM-785380_EN.pdf) This marks a key political stage in revising the EU organic framework, signalling where MEPs may tighten or relax rules that will ultimately affect organic operators’ certification, labelling and access to EU and third‑country markets.

10 Apr 2026, 11:08europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

Netherlands NVWA Finds Low Compliance With Pesticide Rules Along Surface Water in 2024

In April 2026, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) reported that **38% of 66 farms inspected in 2024** along surface water were non‑compliant with pesticide‑use rules, mainly due to incorrect fungicide applications and one buffer‑strip glyphosate use. These findings signal continued enforcement focus on pesticide applications near water bodies and closer cooperation with water boards under EU Water Framework Directive objectives, so growers and advisers should reassess spray programmes, record‑keeping, and buffer‑zone management in similar regions.

10 Apr 2026, 11:03nvwa.nlNetherlands

California Assembly Further Amends AB 1603 on PFAS Pesticides

In April 2026, the California Assembly further amended AB 1603, keeping a phased ban on PFAS-containing pesticides by 2030/2035 but reworking the 2028 step into a PFAS-restricted-material regime with permit-based warnings instead of on-pack label changes. Pesticide manufacturers and growers still face a structural shift away from PFAS actives and cofomulants in California, but can adjust near-term compliance plans to focus on restricted-use permitting, disclosure, and reformulation timelines rather than an imminent 2028 labelling overhaul.

10 Apr 2026, 10:59leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

Latvia: State Plant Protection Service Updates Fertiliser and Substrate Register

Latvia’s State Plant Protection Service has updated the national fertiliser and substrate register via an official Latvijas Vēstnesis notice, adding eight new products and cancelling eight registrations held by Nord Agri/Hortimed in March–April 2026.[^1^](https://www.vestnesis.lv/op/2026/66.7) Companies manufacturing, importing or distributing fertilisers into Latvia should align their product lists with the new registration numbers and ensure the cancelled Hortimed‑branded products are not relied on as registered fertilisers in their 2026 sales and compliance planning.

10 Apr 2026, 10:59vestnesis.lvLatvia

Greece Issues Indicative Labelling Guide for Fertilisers and Non-Fertiliser Products (YA 50424/2025)

Greece’s Ministry of Rural Development and Food has issued a non‑binding April 2026 guide that translates Ministerial Decision 50424/10‑03‑2025’s fertilising‑product rules into concrete labelling templates for fertilisers and related products. While it does not create new obligations, the guide clarifies required label content, disclaimers and references to REACH/CLP and organic/animal‑by‑product rules, reducing the risk of non‑compliant packaging for products placed on the Greek and wider EU market.

10 Apr 2026, 10:51minagric.grGreece

Spain: Extremadura Opens Public Consultation on Code of Good Agricultural Practices

Extremadura has launched a 15-day public consultation on a draft Code of Good Agricultural Practices to regulate regional farming standards. This initiative signals upcoming shifts in operational requirements for nutrient management and chemical use, necessitating early review by agricultural stakeholders to ensure future compliance.

9 Apr 2026, 17:56doe.juntaex.esSpain

EU Parliament ENVI Proposes CAP 2028–2034 Amendments on Pesticides, Irrigation and Protein Crops (Amendments 779–987)

EU Parliament’s ENVI committee proposed amendments to the 2028–2034 CAP implementation rules, seeking to block funding for practices using hazardous pesticides and intensive livestock operations in nutrient hotspots. These proposals signal a shift toward stricter environmental conditionality, pressuring the agricultural supply chain to accelerate the transition toward bio-based alternatives and precision irrigation.

9 Apr 2026, 17:49europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

EU ENVI Committee Tables Amendments 529–778 to CAP 2028–2034 Implementation Proposal

The European Parliament's ENVI Committee has proposed significant amendments to the 2028–2034 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), seeking to link funding more tightly to pesticide and fertiliser reduction targets. If adopted, these changes would shift CAP support toward mandatory compliance with water and pesticide laws, potentially accelerating the phase-out of conventional chemical inputs in EU agriculture.

9 Apr 2026, 17:35europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

EU ENVI Committee Amendments 279–528 to CAP 2028–2034 Support Regulation on Farm Stewardship and Chemical Inputs

The EU ENVI Committee has proposed amendments to the 2028–2034 CAP Support Regulation, seeking to condition agricultural subsidies on significant reductions in chemical pesticide and synthetic fertilizer use. This move aligns future farm funding with stricter soil and water quality standards, signaling a long-term regulatory push to phase out high-risk chemical inputs and transition toward low-input agricultural systems.

9 Apr 2026, 17:34europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

Japan Official Gazette Publishes Pesticide Registration Notices 525–526

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has authorized nine new pesticide products for market use, effective March 2026. Companies should update Japanese product portfolios and ensure labeling compliance with the newly assigned registration numbers to maintain market access.

9 Apr 2026, 17:33kanpo.go.jpJapan

Japan MAFF Announces Lapse of 18 Pesticide Registrations (Notice 527)

Japan's MAFF has confirmed the expiration of 18 pesticide registrations as of January 2026, covering various herbicides, fungicides, and plant activators. Affected products can no longer be legally marketed or used in Japan, necessitating immediate inventory audits and potential re-registration strategies to maintain market access.

9 Apr 2026, 17:27kanpo.go.jpJapan

Switzerland Issues Emergency Authorisations for Spinosad, Spinetoram and Acetamiprid Products in Fruit and Berry Crops

Switzerland has granted emergency temporary authorisations for several Spinosad, Spinetoram, and Acetamiprid-based plant protection products to combat pest outbreaks in fruit and berry production through October 2026. Manufacturers and professional users must adhere to strict risk-mitigation measures, including buffer zones and bee protection, while monitoring the sunset date for these critical crop-protection tools.

9 Apr 2026, 14:33fedlex.admin.chSwitzerland