The joint NFU, Enza Zaden Seeds and British Leafy Salads Association meeting in Tarleton aimed to bring salad growers and the wider supply chain together amid growers facing the threat of Aphid species Nasonovia. Last summer saw some growers lose up to 30 per cent of their crops due to a mix of the loss of chemicals used to control the Aphid through regulatory changes and the persistent dry and warm weather.
Technical presentations gave detailed insights into what went wrong last year and looked ahead to control options and potential solutions. Speakers also explored the possibility of the aphid building resistance to chemicals, which could have contributed to the downturn in last year’s harvest.
NFU Senior Regulatory Affairs Adviser Dr Chris Hartfield provided attendees with an overview on the wider picture on the EU reset and SPS agreement, which could mean a loss of further chemicals as the UK and EU align their standards.
Chris assured attendees that that NFU is working to lobby for a transition period ahead of the agreement’s implementation.
The meeting followed Chris’ cereal and potato growers meeting in Runcorn earlier that day, where he gave an in-depth overview of issues that may arise for businesses, from border checks to pesticide availability and regulation.
United together
Lancashire County Adviser Aarun Naik said: “The reality of what’s going on with the EU realignment was a shock to some of those who attended, but the meeting was positive in the sense that it felt like the salad industry was united together.
“One of the big issues for the growing sector is that we will lose certain chemicals that we can use here, that EU growers don’t have access to. Some of those might be vital to controlling aphids.
“The NFU is lobbying against a potential hard stop to Great Britain’s decisions and realignment with EU requirements in 2027. Instead, we are calling for a transition period where Great Britain’s decisions on pesticide availability are retained until the UK Government has a chance to represent UK farming in the EU decision shaping process, and any withdrawn pesticides are given reasonable use up periods.
“The NFU understands the urgency and we are fighting hard on members’ behalf on this highly complex issue, of which food and agriculture is only one part. We continue to gather evidence of these impacts and look for ways to minimise or mitigate them. You can help us to do this – if any of these issues affect you, email details to [email protected] and we’ll make sure your concerns are taken into account.”