NFUs chem appeal

25 May 2001

NFUs chem appeal

THE NFU has won permission from the Court of Appeal to intervene in a legal case between the Crop Protection Association and MAFF that could restrict British farmers access to cheaper foreign agrochemicals.

The Crop Protection Association wants to tighten the criteria by which foreign pesticides are judged to be equivalent to British ones. Products deemed to be equivalent are subject to a "fast track" approval process.

But the NFUs Marcus Themans says the current controls are already too restrictive. "Any further tightening would be unfair, especially at a time when farmers can ill afford it." &#42