The IR-4 Project at North Carolina State University has received a US$10 million, five-year award from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service as part of the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports initiative to help US specialty-crop exporters address pesticide-residue barriers in international markets. Tree nuts and dried fruits are explicitly included among the high-value crops covered by the project.
Under the award, IR-4 plans to expand its capacity to generate scientific data supporting international maximum residue limits, address data gaps that limit the establishment of Codex MRLs and develop strategies to reduce residue-related export risks. It also plans to create an Export Market Access Platform to identify, prioritize and track regulatory barriers.
