Review of the year: Pesticide bans threaten production

In the third of a series of articles looking over 2008, we look at the threat EU pesticides legislation placed on the arable industry.

Pesticides have been at the centre of the media spotlight this year, with the EC threatening to ban up to 85% of products.

Despite the lack of any impact assessment, the European Parliament continued to press on with plans to change legislation to a hazard-based regime rather than the current risk-based one.

The proposals could slash cereal yields by a third, devastate sugar beet and horticultural production, ruin food quality and force food prices up by 50%, claimed experts.

In July, Farmers Weekly launched its Save Our Sprays campaign, calling for a full risk assessment. Of those polled 86% supported the campaign, which received 1600 signatures.

Meanwhile, DEFRA announced the extension of the nitrate vulnerable zone to almost 70% of England, although the new measures were not as onerous as expected.

November proved a busy month, with anti-pesticide campaigner Georgina Downs winning a legal victory over public exposure to crop sprays. The European Parliament’s environment committee also voted to resurrect proposals on targets to reduce pesticide use, but softened its line on the banning of products, to affect 15-20% of sprays.

Scientists and farmers continue to battle against the proposals on the grounds of disease resistance and food security.

Other events of 2008

July

Record crowds visited the CLA’s Game Fair at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire.

Show organisers overcame traffic chaos to ensure it was the most popular weekend in the fair’s 50-year history.

August

Jimmy Doherty became agriculture’s hero when he visited producers across the country in his TV show, Jimmy’s Farming Heroes. He talked to Farmers Weekly about making the programme, plans for his farm and his dreams of opening high street farm shops.

September

Just a month after the New Holland combine smashed the world harvesting record, Class reclaimed the title.

The Claas Lexion harvested 532t in eight hours Kevin Yates’s Winterquay Farms at Heckington, Lincolnshire.

Keith Challen of Farmeco, who organised the attempt, said: “This is the latest we have harvested in 20 years, and after a very difficult harvest, it is nice to finish on a high and make harvest 2008 memorable for the right reason.”

Coming up tomorrow…

• Bluetongue and TB causes havoc and divides opinion across Europe
• Plus: Other key events from October, November and December