Farmers: pesticides controls threaten Christmas sprouts

Friday, 19 December 2008

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has urged its members to lobby the European Union (EU) - over fears that new pesticides proposals could harm sprouts supplies.

Representatives in the EU have agreed to increase pesticide restrictions, a move the NFU said will increase the price of food in the UK, as well as damaging the Christmas favourite.

Both crop yield and quality will be harmed after the proposals become law, it added.

Vice president Paul Temple said: "Only last week Prime Minister Gordon Brown said it was unfortunate that few other member states appear to have examined the impacts of these proposals as carefully as the UK.

"He said he remained concerned that the European Parliament's committee is continuing to press for changes which could damage agriculture and food production without securing any meaningful benefits for health or the environment.

"I am also concerned over the lack of sound science behind the plans and we cannot support measures which reduce the tools available to farmers and growers to produce crops - particularly at a time when we need to be increasing food production, not restricting it."

Under the new rules, 22 types of chemical, including those that can cause genetic damage, would be banned.

Ahead of the plenary vote scheduled for January, the NFU said members should now get in touch with their European Parliament member voicing their concerns.

Writing for TalkingRetail.com, Dominic Dyer and Friedhelm Schmider this week examined the implications restrictions will have on the grocery market.