Belgium asks for neonicotinoids derogation

The Belgian Minister of Agriculture, Denis Ducarme, will apply for a derogation in Brussels for the use of neonicotinoids in sugar beet cultivation. Growers' organizations are calling on his French colleague to do the same. This was announced on May 16 at the Sugar Beet Europe Congress.

The International Confederation of European Beet Growers (CIBE) organizes the Sugar Beet Europe Congress in Ghent from 16 to 18 May. A much-discussed topic is the ban on 3 neonicotinoids, which means that a seed coating of sugar beets is no longer allowed.

Derogation in Belgium
During a speech, Denis Ducarme announced that he would apply for a derogation for Belgium in Brussels. Ducarme is Minister of the Self-employed, SMEs, Agriculture and Social Integration. Individual member states can request an exemption from the ban. That has been the case since 2013. With a derogation, the sector has time to look for alternatives to substance use.

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Meanwhile, the French growers' organization Confederation Generale des Planteurs de Betteraves (CGB) calls on the French agriculture minister, Stephane Travert, to do the same. A ban on neonicotinoids costs an average yield of 12% and in extreme cases as much as 50% says it.

back door
Since the first ban on the 3 neonicotinoids in 2013, it is possible to request a derogation: 8 Member States have made use of this so far. This includes beet-growing countries such as Romania and Hungary.

Spraying
The sugar beet world calls the ban disastrous and also bad for nature. The alternative is for beet growers to start spraying in full field again. They are harmful to bees and other insects, while a seed coating is not. The sugar beet is not a flowering crop.

Derogation is not the only hope for the neonicotinoids ban. On Thursday 17 May, a lawsuit will be filed in Brussels by the drug producers. They consider that the ban was wrongly introduced because it based is on the unapproved Bee Guidance.

Niels van der Boom

Niels van der Boom is a senior market specialist for arable crops at DCA Market Intelligence. He mainly makes analyses and market updates about the potato market. In columns he shares his sharp view on the arable sector and technology.

n.vanderboom@boerenbusiness. Nl

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