The NFU will continue to fight for a key bracken control product, despite a European Union ban.
UK farming unions won a temporary reprieve for asulam, marketed in this country as Asulox, earlier this summer. However, at yesterday’s EU Appeal Committee meeting, there was not enough support from other member states to overturn a ban, now due to take effect in 2012 under the EU’s pesticides regulation.
The NFU will now push for an emergency authorisation.
Head of policy services Andrew Clark said: “We have worked hard to get the European Commission to see common sense on this but we have fallen just short.
“The loss of asulam, the only product approved for aerial application, will lead to serious bracken control problems.
“Unchecked bracken growth gives rise to a whole host of difficulties including negative impacts on biodiversity as well as public and animal health issues arising from the toxicity and carcinogenic nature of the plant and the fact that it can act as a habitat for disease carrying ticks.
“We have already been in contact with the UK Government on this and will now discuss an ‘emergency authorisation’ to continue the use of asulam for an unspecified time period, which would give us breathing space to find a workable solution in the long term.
“The UK Chemicals Regulation Directorate told us they would consider any applications for emergency authorisation on a case-by-case basis.”
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- John Thorley OBE - 29/09/2011
The loss of Asulox is one of the most serious challenges for hill and upland farming. The carcinogenic nature of Bracken, in its fronds, roots and spores appart from its seriously invasive and all enveloping nature spells disaster for biodiversity and every effort must be made to get it back as a properly licenced product. All organisations with an interest in the grazing animal or the wellbeing particularly of the remote rural areas and their communities and cultures must get together and support the retention of this unique product.
- Geoff Collier - 22/09/2011
Asulox is the only way we are able to control bracken on our very steep land. Mechanical attack is not neither safe nor possible. We spray by knapsack around the edges on an annual basis but do cut fields where we can rather than use Asulox. Bracken is either the most or certainly one of the most invasive plants on the planet with very large energy retaining Rhizomes. Asulox is the only practical way forward for us here in N Devon on the edge of Exmoor.