agriculture

South African agriculture is undergoing significant regulatory changes concerning the use of agricultural remedies, particularly those classified as “restricted agricultural remedies”. These changes underscore the crucial role of the registered Pest Control Operator (PCO) in ensuring the safe and responsible management of pests while safeguarding human health and the environment. A PCO is defined by the Pest Control Operator Regulations 2011 under the Fertilizer, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act No. 36 of 1947. For many years, these regulations were not enforced due to the lack of definitions for “restricted agricultural remedies”. This changed in 2023 when the “Regulations relating to agricultural remedies” were published, defining a new class of restricted remedies which apply to PCOs.