The Spanish citrus sector would lose €1,500 million if 75 active ingredients are eliminated

By Juan Herrera

The National Symposium on Plant Health, held last week in Seville, was the framework chosen by the Business Association for the Protection of Plants (AEPLA) for the presentation of the results of the Low Yield Report, carried out by the consulting firm Steward Redqueen At the request of European Crop Protection (ECPA).

Its aim is to analyze the socio-economic effects of legislation based on the dangerous nature of plant protection products for European agriculture and food supply.

The viability of European agriculture is under heavy pressure. The Community’s tendency to legislate taking into account the dangerous nature of products, while avoiding the benefits that their proper use can offer our society, could mean that 75 of the 400 active substances currently available to protect European crops are banned.

“European farmers would not have the variety of solutions needed to ensure the viability of their farms, European agriculture would lose competitiveness and, by extension, the effects on the economy, employment and the environment in Europe would be very negative“, said Hedda Eggeling , Representative of the consulting firm Steward Redqueen and coauthor of the report, which presented the main conclusions of the study carried out in 9 EU countries (including Spain), analyzing 7 staple crops and 24 specialized crops.

Among the direct effects on agricultural production, a decrease of 10-20% yield in barley, wheat, rapeseed and maize is identified; Between 30-40% in potato and beet and 20% in vineyard. In the case of Spain, the citrus sector would be the most affected with losses quantified at around 1,500 million euros.

Cristóbal Aguado, president of AVA-ASAJA: “Europe submits its farmers to unjustified pressure through this strict and arbitrary legislation, omitting the professionalism demonstrated by the sector”

As Aguado recalled, “the reality is that the farmer needs to protect his crops against pests and diseases. Science has made available to us effective tools to guarantee the health of the food we produce and that comes to the table of consumers. We use them when necessary and always respecting the established recommendations. We are the first ones interested in applying these technologies correctly, and that is something that our society seems to ignore. We must communicate this, only then will the consumer know the responsible work carried out to ensure a sufficient supply of safe and healthy food”, he added.

The lack of active substances also complicates the necessary alternation of phytosanitary solutions, as with medicines, which would add an added problem to the loss of productivity, the appearance of resistance

“Decisions taken today by Authorities can have an immediate and significant impact on our food supply and, by extension, the ability of future generations to access safe, healthy, affordable and sustainable food“, said Carlos Palomar , CEO of AEPLA, adding: “We must enable our farmers to produce more food efficiently, using less soil and less natural resources. Politicians, industry and society need to work together to develop integrated and sustainable solutions. And to achieve these goals, technology, science and research are essential“.

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