News Crop protection
Arable farmers send fire letter to Schouten
Royal Cosun, LTO Nederland, the NAJK and the Dutch Arable Farming Union (NAV) have jointly issued a fire letter verzonden to Minister Carola Schouten (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality). In this they address 2 major challenges for arable farmers: the current situation in sugar beet and the foundations under the authorization of glyphosate.
Sugar beets are currently struggling, partly due to the lack of a seed coating with a neonicotinoids. Especially on the heavy clay soil, beet crops are heavily affected by insect pests. As a result, broad spectrum insecticides are used, which do more harm than good for the environment.
Visiting a grower
The damage caused by insects is sometimes so bad in individual cases that beets have to be sown. The writers and the arable farming sector are disappointed that the ban leads to such environmentally harmful matters. They therefore call on Schouten to visit an affected company and see the problem for themselves. They hope to find a solution together for the coming year and the further future.
Another major concern for the industry is the use of glyphosate. They fear that this herbicide has met the same fate as the neonicotinoids. This relatively environmentally friendly herbicide is then replaced by products that are more harmful to the environment. In addition, fully mechanical weed control is a utopia, it is written.
Science should dominate
The parties want to contribute ideas about the reduction of glyphosate use. The sector has already taken a first step with pre-harvest spraying in pulses. In both cases they see scientific knowledge as the foundation and not the emotion. Glyphosate fits in well here.
Niels van der Boom
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