Thank you to the many constituents getting in touch regarding the decision from the Environment Secretary to let the product containing neonicotinoid thiamethoxam to treat sugar beet seed this year to protect the crop from a virus.
Last year a virus significantly reduced sugar beet yields, and similar conditions this year would be likely to present similar dangers.
The pesticide will be allowed in a limited and controlled way for up to 120 days and will be strictly limited to a non-flowering crop. The tight controls will minimise any potential risk to pollinators. Virus yellows disease is having an unprecedented impact on Britain's sugar beet crop, with some growers experiencing yield losses of up to 80 per cent, and this authorisation is desperately needed to fight this disease. It will be crucial in ensuring that Britain’s sugar beet growers continue to have viable farm business.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have said that emergency authorisations for pesticides are only granted in exceptional circumstances where diseases or pests cannot be controlled by any other reasonable means.
Many are suggesting that is a casualty of Brexit but in reality emergency authorisations are used by countries across the European Union.
10 EU countries including Belgium, Denmark and Spain have granted emergency authorisations for neonicotinoid seed treatments since 2018. Under EU legislation Member States may grant emergency authorisations in exceptional circumstances. The UK’s approach to the use of emergency authorisations has not changed as a result of the UK’s exit from the EU.
Pesticides can only be used where it is judged that there is to be no harm to human health and animal health, and no unacceptable risks to the environment.
If you would like to discuss this further or any other matter, then please do not hesitate to contact me.
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