EU pesticide ban 'would hit crops'

A number of products would be eliminated under the new directive, because of the hazards they pose to human health - for example because they are cancer-causing.

But agricultural scientists and industry experts said the new regulations were based on a simplistic approach looking at a chemical's intrinsically hazardous properties, rather than the risk it posed from practical use in the field.

They said the proposals were not backed by scientific research which showed they would have benefits for human health, and the UK was the only country which had carried out studies on the potential impact on farming.

The banning of a group of fungicides, triazoles, which are used to control diseases in wheat but which have the potential to affect hormones, could see losses of 20% to 30% in wheat yields, a report by environmental consultants ADAS warned.

The banning of the pesticide mancozeb, which treats potato blight, could lead to losses in the crop of more than 20%.

Farmers might need to see price increases of 25% to 100% on crops such as wheat, potatoes and vegetables in order to be able to sustain their production, the researchers said.

They also raised fears a smaller number of available pesticides could lead to increased resistance among weeds, fungi and insects.

Ian Denholm, of Rothamsted Research Institute, said there were potentially very alarming consequences of the proposed pesticides directive, which came at a time of growing demand for food and concern over prices. He called for a much more comprehensive study of the impacts of the legislation on a Europe-wide basis.

Last week the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers voted by a qualified majority - with the UK abstaining - to adopt the proposals by the Commission and they will now go before the Parliament, which has proposed more stringent criteria for what counts as hazardous.