The UK government has taken the decision not to reauthorise the use of the pesticide Vydate, effective immediately.
The pesticide, manufactured by Corteva Agriscience, protects crops from nematode pests, a type of worm.
It can no longer be sold, distributed or used in the UK. The storage and disposal of the product has been approved until February 28, 2021.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is urgently engaging with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to discuss this decision and the practicalities of its disposal plan.
NFU Vice President Tom Bradshaw said:
It is extremely disappointing that Vydate will not be reauthorised by the UK government and it is unacceptable the announcement was made just one week before the authorisation ended, with no time for growers to prepare.
“We have serious concerns about the realistic prospects of the industry being able to dispose of the product by the end of February, given the lack of notice and relatively short window for the manufacturer to arrange collection.
“Vydate is an incredibly important tool for growers of sugar beet, potatoes, onions, carrots and other field veg to control pests on their crop.
It is an effective and affordable part of many growers’ integrated pest management plans and we are supporting emergency authorisation applications submitted by industry.
“We will continue to review this decision in greater depth and further analyse what impact this decision will have on farm businesses,” he concluded.
