:: You have only days left to respond to the European Commission's consultation on Endocrine Disruptors - act now!
It is important therefore that individuals and businesses that have an interest in this issue respond. The NFU is encouraging members to submit their view/experiences on what the impact might be on the availability of Plant Protection Products (PPPs).
While the NFU will make a submission, it is vital that members also communicate the weight of feeling on this issue.
Below we have set out some simple steps explaining how to respond to the consultation but it is the impact on your business that will carry the most weight. So take a look at our Q & A for some background information and advice, as well as our table highlighting some of the crop protection products most at risk. However this is not an exhaustive list.
Should the consultation lead to a far more precautionary approach the list could be more extensive and include azoles, among other products.
NFU North East Crops Board member Richard Bramley has written a column for the Yorkshire Post on why farmers must fight to keep plant protection products - read it here.
So. Over to you. You can then find the consultation document can be found here.
Important documents:
How to tackle your consultation response
As ever this consultation is not set out in the most user friendly way with four distinct sections, but for most people, and certainly the majority of farmers making a submission, only Section 1 and 4 are relevant.
Below is a brief summary of each section and some handy pointers to think about in Section 4.
Section 1: personal details - NFU advice is to complete this.
Section 2: gathering information on scientific evidence - NFU advice is for members to answer NO to all mandatory questions in this section.
Section 3: also about information gathering - NFU advice is for members to answer NO to all mandatory questions in this section.
Section 4: other information - NFU advice is to use this as an opportunity to write or attach a document about how the upcoming legislation on endocrine disruption might affect their business. This section allows for a submission of around 600 words (one A4 side), so make sure you make use of the information in our Q & A, our handy table of possible products at risk and some 'points for consideration' set out below.
Upon completion of the consultation please email Y29tYmluYWJsZWNyb3BzYm9hcmRAbmZ1Lm9yZy51aw== to confirm you consultation response.
Points for consideration:
• How might your business be affected by the loss, of key PPPs such as azole fungicides or loss of other PPPs (see table).
•What impact would not having access to these products have on disease/pest control and yields on all your crops across the rotation.
•What about the risk of resistance developing to other types of chemistry you use?
•Would it affect the economic viability of your farm?
•What effect might it have on the types of crop and how much food you could produce?