Plant Protection Report

October 30, 2014 12:00 am

According to a report published by The Andersons Centre, 40 active substances are highly likely to either be removed from the market or restricted within the next five to seven years.  The report entitled Crop Production Technology: The Effect of the Loss of Plant Protection Products on UK Agriculture and Horticulture and the Wider Economy which was commissioned by the NFU, the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) and the Crop Protection Association (CPA) found the loss of these Plant Protection Products (PPPs) could have a severe impact on UK agriculture.  Pests and diseases would be far harder to control and resistance build up more likely.  The key points from the report are;

  • Yield decrease ranges from 4 to 50% on the crops studied (see table below)
  • Overall food output from UK farming and horticulture would decline, making the UK more reliant on imports
  • Severe decline in domestic production of some ‘iconic’ British foods such as frozen peas, apples and fresh carrots
  • Decline in quality, supermarkets may prefer to import better quality produce often produced using PPPs banned in the UK and EU
  • Reduced domestic cereal output could lead to an increase in livestock feed prices
  • Structural change in crop production, greater reliance on mechanical and hand weeding
  • UK agriculture’s Gross Value Added (GVA) could fall by around £1.6 billion per annum, a drop of 20% compared to the five year average
  • Total Income for Farming (TIFF) drops by £1.73 billion

The study also recognises that the impact of losing PPPs goes wider than just agriculture.  Farming provides the raw materials for the wider agri-food industry.  The food processing and manufacturing sector could potentially lose around £2.5 billion in GVA, with associated job losses of 35,000 to 40,000.  The agricultural supply industry would also be hit hard.

 

Crop

Yield Reduction

Winter Wheat

12%

Winter Barley

10%

Winter Oats

4%

Winter OSR

18%

Peas & Beans

15%

Sugar Beet

12%

Potatoes

12%

Carrots

25%

Onions

50%

Apples

6%

 

The report concludes that the present EU policy environment around PPPs is uncertain and generally unfavourable for new development and thus investment in the sector is under threat.  Policies need to be science-led, and the assessment of risks should be undertaken on a proportionate basis.  The full report can be found at http://www.nfuonline.com/andersons-final-report/

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