French to use neonics in sugar beet seed.

[DrWazzock]

What’s needed is an insecticide free year for the UK.
Pets riddled with fleas and worms. Kids infested with head lice. Fruit and veg in the shops crawling with bugs and maggots and the sh!t and damage they leave behind. Sheep shot in the fields struck with blowfly or scab.
Maybe people would wake up then.

 

[Farmer1001]

Its a fascinating thread; I have no idea about growing beet, what I would say from what I have read is we cant have a one system suits all, be that blanket banning of neonics use in both flowering and non flower crops, or whats good for Romania is good for the UK etc. We need a more targeted approach to our food production and farming, one with less political influence but more practical knowledgable input from those with generations of experience in how we got to where we are. Im pretty sure the UK can grow the most sustainable beet in Europe thus produce the most sustainable sugar - if "allowed" to. In reality I suspect we will see our shelves filled with the opposite.

 

[Hampton]

It's only a matter of time before neonics fall on their faces anyway.

Yes, but it would probably be ten years, giving the breeding companies time to catch up with varietal resistance, rather than current disasters

 

[Hampton]

Neonic resistance in Canadian flea beetle. Why don’t we ever learn that all this gear is just a momentary stop gap. Resistance is basically inevitable.
Think of just how much neonic was being used a few years ago on osr, cereals and beet. No wonder stuff gets banned.
anyone claiming that any form of insecticide is harmless and has no side effects is brainwashed.

Or think about it like this.
I have grown 75 acres per year for previous ten years and averaged between £30-40k in turnover off that acreage.
Last year I grew 68 acres (down slightly I agree) and my turnover from our OSR crop was £9004! Oh, and 30 bales of silage that I cut early off the “bad” patches.
Now if you can explain to me this difference without the culprit being the ban on neonics then I’m all ears.
That’s my loss of income on a relatively small acreage. I talk to other farmer in my area and there rape was terrible last year and is getting hammered by flea beetle currently.
up shot is that i have stopped growing OSR.
I’m all for cutting out or reducing pesticides providing their is a viable alternative. To say “well in Canada” is all very well, but it’s the equivalent of saying “Atlantis doesn’t work” because it won’t kill black grass in Leicestershire. Doesn’t mean it won’t kill black grass everywhere!

 

[shakerator]

Neonic resistance in Canadian flea beetle. Why don’t we ever learn that all this gear is just a momentary stop gap. Resistance is basically inevitable.
Think of just how much neonic was being used a few years ago on osr, cereals and beet. No wonder stuff gets banned.
anyone claiming that any form of insecticide is harmless and has no side effects is brainwashed.

no real resistance for 25 years plus though in aphids / beetles etc in uk

at what point in history has humanity not needed to protect crops bred for its own ends

 

[ajd132]

Fair points from everyone, just offering a different view.
The conspiracy theorist in me thinks the ban also has something to do with lowering sugar intake of the population.

 

[Brisel]

Fair points from everyone, just offering a different view.
The conspiracy theorist in me thinks the ban also has something to do with lowering sugar intake of the population.

I think you’re over analysing it. They just think all neonics are evil because the nice man on the telly says so and we will live without them. No further thought than that. No impact assessments were ever done before the decision was made.

 

[DrWazzock]

I think you’re over analysing it. They just think all neonics are evil because the nice man on the telly says so and we will live without them. No further thought than that. No impact assessments were ever done before the decision was made.

Well frankly I think he has a point. In media, sugar seen as root of all evil, and if we have to use it why not buy it from those poor fair tradey natives growing cane abroad? Soil erosion, pounding the land when it’s most fragile in winter, it doesn’t have a lot going for it at the best of times. But normally it’s a good earner and provides quite a lot of useful employment and economic output.....but so did coal. These metrosexuals don’t like grit, especially when it’s up north, or north of Watford anyway. That’s why they don’t give one about neonics.

 

[teslacoils]

In any case, farmers weekly say it's all yielding above average anyway. The nfu should consider a ninja unit to go round to farmers who tell the fw all their ace yields and tiny costs, and just give them a light slap. Any politician reading the UK's number one land agent / aga owners yellow-topped guinneapig bedding would think it's all a fuss over nothing.

 

[Hindsight]

In any case, farmers weekly say it's all yielding above average anyway. The nfu should consider a ninja unit to go round to farmers who tell the fw all their ace yields and tiny costs, and just give them a light slap. Any politician reading the UK's number one land agent / aga owners yellow-topped guinneapig bedding would think it's all a fuss over nothing.

farmers weekly is getting more and more remote from reality. ah well.

 

[Lincsman]

If these things were uniformly banned throughout the world it would be OK, yields would drop to a level were the price could easily double and farmers would be better off. This constant push for high yields has not done any farmer any good, if Ford pushed out Fiestas at a rate they could only give them away at less than cost price everyone would think they were mad.

 

[ajd132]

If these things were uniformly banned throughout the world it would be OK, yields would drop to a level were the price could easily double and farmers would be better off. This constant push for high yields has not done any farmer any good, if Ford pushed out Fiestas at a rate they could only give them away at less than cost price everyone would think they were mad.

Remmeber the basf advert ‘farming, the biggest job on earth’ farmers are absolute suckers for ‘feed the world’ praise.

 

[DrWazzock]

What beats me is Victoria Atkins MP (Conservative), neighbouring beet growing constituency) is married to the MD of British Sugar. Yet even with a connection like that we can’t swing it in favour of neonics. Poor show really. So much for listening to the people and helping those up north.

 

[Lincsman]

What beats me is Victoria Atkins MP (Conservative), neighbouring beet growing constituency) is married to the MD of British Sugar. Yet even with a connection like that we can’t swing it in favour of neonics. Poor show really. So much for listening to the people and helping those up north.

Is it actually a problem to British sugar?

 

[DrWazzock]

Is it actually a problem to British sugar?

It will be if enough farmers jack it in.

 

[Brisel]

What stocks of sugar are BS carrying?

 

[deleted user 837354]

I can foresee the end of European sugar production one day in the face of cane.

 

[Hindsight]

Is it actually a problem to British sugar?

Apart from the loss writing down / off the UK production facilities does ABF need UK produced Sugar? On another thread we see Roquette closing their Corby factory to import sugar syrup from France. Meet the brave new world of Brexit as encouraged by Professor Minford??

https://www.absugar.com/people

 

[Farmer T]

Is it actually a problem to British sugar?

Wissington processed 15,000 tonnes of beet yesterday below 15% sugar. Unheard of at this time of year.

Let’s say 18% at this time of year is achievable with neonics, that’s 17% less sugar being produced but British Sugar’s factory cost exactly the same.

Make no mistake this is hurting UK sugar farmers but it’s also hurting a company that depends 100% on sugar processing.

 

[Flat 10]

Wissington processed 15,000 tonnes of beet yesterday below 15% sugar. Unheard of at this time of year.

Let’s say 18% at this time of year is achievable with neonics, that’s 17% less sugar being produced but British Sugar’s factory cost exactly the same.

Make no mistake this is hurting UK sugar farmers but it’s also hurting a company that depends 100% on sugar processing.

Good. Share the pain.