Industry denies pesticide black-list

Farmers and retailers have been told there is no such thing as a ‘black-list’ of dangerous pesticides.

Following on from a European Parliament vote last month to impose strict new rules on the use of pesticides, green campaigners have claimed there is a black-list of around 22 substances earmarked for immediate removal from the market place.

But industry leaders have accused the green lobby of scaremongering.

Crop Protection Association chief executive Dominic Dyer said unofficial lists were not based on firm evidence and could damage UK food production.

“Our real concern is that retailers will pick up on these unofficial lists and put them on their own ‘red-list’ of prohibited products. If Waitrose and Sainsbury’s took the initiative then others could follow. This will increase costs and cause problems all the way down the supply chain,” he said.

Dr Colin Ruscoe, chairman of the British Crop Production Council, said the farmers only used safe products.

“This could result in the removal of key products, proven to be safe under the existing stringent risk-based regulatory regime,” he said.

The European Crop Protection Association confirmed there was no black-list. It said the legislation merely provided the framework for future evaluation of individual pesticides.

Indeed the legislation is still to be ratified by the EU’s agriculture council, probably in March or April, and its implementation and impact will not take effect until 2011.

Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium, said farmers and growers could not afford to lose key crop protection products based on hearsay.

“The lack of detail from the European Commission makes it very difficult for the fresh produce sector to assess fully the implications of this regulation.

“This has led to speculation and second guessing.

“We need hard and fast information upon which to make long-term business decisions to ensure that we can continue to provide safe, affordable fresh produce,” he said.

Growers already have a limited range of products to protect horticultural crops, and if substances are removed indiscriminately it may become uneconomic to grow crops such as sprouts and carrots regardless of the new pesticides rules, warned Mr Jenney.

He said the Commission should quash talk of a black-list and provide an impact assessment to help growers and farmers plan for the future.