Asulox has only been available in the UK on an emergency licence for the past 10 years.
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The herbicide Asulox, which is used for bracken control, has not been approved for use in NI for the 2023 season.
Since 2013, Asulox has only been available in the UK on an emergency licence, which is reviewed annually by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
In a letter to the Bracken Control Group, an industry body that applies for the emergency licence each year, the HSE confirmed it was refusing the application in NI.
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“The longer a repeat goes on, the more difficult it becomes to characterise it as an emergency situation. This year’s application does not demonstrate that the situation can be considered exceptional,” the letter states.
NI farmers 'restricted'
The refusal means that NI farmers will be restricted to physical methods of bracken control, such as cutting, bruising and trampling.
Asulox has not been re-licensed for use in Scotland and Wales this year either, although it is approved for use in England for the 2023 spraying season, which runs from 1 July to 11 September.
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The herbicide Asulox, which is used for bracken control, has not been approved for use in NI for the 2023 season.
Since 2013, Asulox has only been available in the UK on an emergency licence, which is reviewed annually by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
In a letter to the Bracken Control Group, an industry body that applies for the emergency licence each year, the HSE confirmed it was refusing the application in NI.
“The longer a repeat goes on, the more difficult it becomes to characterise it as an emergency situation. This year’s application does not demonstrate that the situation can be considered exceptional,” the letter states.
NI farmers 'restricted'
The refusal means that NI farmers will be restricted to physical methods of bracken control, such as cutting, bruising and trampling.
Asulox has not been re-licensed for use in Scotland and Wales this year either, although it is approved for use in England for the 2023 spraying season, which runs from 1 July to 11 September.
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