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Two separate reports indicated that the European Union’s ban on neonicotinoids and other pesticides could have devastating impact on several crops and farmers’ profits.
Un informe realizado por los consultores empresariales Andersons sugirió que las prohibiciones podrían causar una caída en las ganancias agrícolas de £ 1.7 mil millones ($2.74 mil millones), más importaciones y mayores precios de los alimentos.
Farmers are already seeing damage from a ban on neonicotinoids. Just four weeks after their planting German rapeseed crops are already seeing an “unusually high level of insect damage” due to the European Union ban, according to the German farming association DBV.
The Andersons report, commissioned by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), the Crop Protection Association (CPA) and the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), suggested the ban the use of 40 chemicals by 2020 could lead to a surge in pests, affecting production of apples, carrots and peas, among other crops.
Aunque no se ha encontrado un vínculo directo, se ha culpado a los neonicotinoides de la disminución de las poblaciones de abejas. El DBV cree que algunos agricultores podrían ver una caída en los rendimientos en la cosecha de colza de 2015. La colza plantada este otoño es la primera que se cultiva en los últimos años sin neonicotinoides
According to the Andersons’ report the crops several crops could be affected:
- Potatoes: Many fungicides controlling blight would be banned. Predicted yield loss – 12%
- Wheat: Fungicides helping to control rust and mildew would be banned. Predicted yield loss – 12%
- Onions: Mildew and a rotting disease called botrytis are currently held back by chemicals likely to be banned. Predicted yield loss – 50%
- Apples: Main issue is “scab”. The chemical likely to be outlawed holds back skin browning and blemishes, and growers are worried consumers will not buy imperfect-looking fruit
Lea sobre los daños causados por la colza alemana aquí.
Lea sobre las preocupaciones sobre las cosechas del Reino Unido en Agricultores Semanal, BBC News Reino Unido y Agricultura Reino Unido.