Free trade agreements that are under pressure, fluctuating exchange rates and import tariffs, labeling, food safety, strict regulations and (soil) diseases. This is a selection from the large number of challenges for the arable farming sector, but there is still 1: the number of available crop protection products will fall sharply.
Albert Schirring, Global Manager Potatoes at Bayer Crop Science, does not have a happy story for those present at the Knowledge Afternoon 'Room for the Potato', which took place on November 23 at the Aeres University of Applied Sciences took place in Dronten. "There is a lot going on with the (re)registration of plant protection products in the European Union (EU). Due to the European regulation, which came into effect in 2011, results from animal experiments are submitted. Data that is not available."
The length of time until new substances are authorized is now so long that Schirring, together with the European Crop Protection Agency (ECPA) is very concerned. "This is because the collaboration does not function as agreed. Registration and re-registration are enormous jobs with truckloads of documents." This makes manufacturers hesitate whether they want those time-consuming and money-consuming processes. The result is that fewer and fewer resources become available.
Lead times sometimes take years
The Bayer man expects the worst. "Of the package of resources we now have, 60% of the active substances will not survive. That will be a problem. The original registration process takes 27 months, but in reality it is 4 years further. That is different from what the regulations are intended to do. And this is an average; there are large extremes with lead times of 10 to 12 years. Moreover, the development costs millions and then you still have nothing. It is all very opaque and there are no guarantees."
The consequences are already noticeable. "The number of agents available for potato cultivation will be significantly reduced. To combat phytophthora, 20 active substances are permitted. Enough, you would say, but for alternaria there are only 6. The potato blight has now adapted in practice and the resources package is starting to become on the tight side."
Competitive disadvantage EU versus US
How different is the registration process in the United States (US). Since 2011, 49 new active substances have become available in the Netherlands (out of 6 applications), 2 of which are for potato cultivation, while in the US there were 12. "This leads to a competitive disadvantage for the European member states." All the more so because in this way the EU drives companies away to countries that are in better order and therefore also have these resources, which only increases the disadvantage for EU farmers.
Not a good thing, considering Europe is competing with the US. "The EU is in danger of ending up much more on an island. Where will the ship turn? It seems as if accidents have to happen first. We will not make it with purely biological solutions. That is no alternative to synthetic products. Chemistry will be necessary in the future to keep control."
Schirring calls for more involvement. "Farmers, but also the processing industry, because without resources potato cultivation will not survive. In addition, sustainability through precision agriculture and 'integrated pest management' (including organic products) is a 'must' for the future of potato cultivation. The moment that resources being in the registration process is the right time to make your voice heard.”