This is a subscriber-only article
The Chemicals Regulations Directorate in the UK has rejected an application from the main UK farmers’ unions for emergency use of chlorpyrifos on grassland to control leatherjackets in the autumn.
Chlorpryifos is the active substance in leatherjacket insecticides such as Dursban WG and Equity. Following a European Union review last year, new human health based safety levels were agreed for chlorpyrifos.
Subsequent risk assessments carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK indicated that most uses of chlorpyrifos exceed these new limits. Use of chlorpyrifos on all crops was banned by the HSE in the UK from 1 April 2016 after sales from manufacturers ceased from 1 February 2016. From October this year, all stocks of chlorpyrifos products on UK farms must be disposed of.
In the Republic of Ireland chlorpyrifos products have also been revoked following a ban on the sale of products from 1 March 2016 and a subsequent shorter one month use up period.
Application
To accompany the application for emergency use of chlorpyrifos, the National Farmers’ Union in Scotland asked grassland farmers to complete a survey detailing how the insecticide was used on their farms and how there was a lack of a viable alternative for the control of leatherjackets.
“We are very disappointed our application was rejected. For years farmers have safely used PPPs such as Dursban WG and Equity to control a wide range of grassland pests,” Ulster Farmers’ Union president Barclay Bell said on Thursday.
Bell said that the UFU was aware of impact that the removal of chlorpyrifos from the market will have on farmers managing leatherjackets. “Because we need effective PPPs [Plant Protection Product] we will continue to explore other options,” he said.
SHARING OPTIONS: