Conditional Approval for Emergency Pesticide Use to Safeguard Sugar Beet Crops

• The permitted level for neonicotinoid application has risen significantly compared to previous years, reaching a historic high.
• The government is dedicated to discovering innovative pest management techniques that enhance food production while safeguarding the environment.

For the 2024 sugar beet harvest in England, the use of a neonicotinoid pesticide will be authorized only if an independent forecast indicates a virus incidence of 65% or higher.

Emergency Authorisations for pesticides are issued for a limited duration and under exceptional circumstances where no reasonable alternatives can mitigate the threat, ensuring that usage is both limited and closely monitored.

The application of Cruiser SB will be allowed if an independent model predicts yellow virus levels to surpass a specified threshold. Should this threshold not be met, then the usage of the product will be prohibited.

This year’s threshold has been set at the highest level ever established. Even if this threshold is met, additional measures will be enforced to reduce environmental risks.

These measures include restrictions on subsequent crops in any field where treated seeds were utilized, and compliance with a stewardship scheme for the correct treatment and application of seeds, along with ongoing monitoring of neonicotinoid presence in the environment.

The implementation of this neonicotinoid pesticide safeguards crops from viruses, thus ensuring food production, while the associated thresholds aim to protect the broader environment.

The government is moving towards reduced pesticide use and is endorsing innovative strategies to help farmers effectively manage pests. Even if Cruiser SB is utilized across all sugar beet fields in England, the quantity of active substances used would still be over 90% lower than the amount applied each year from 2012 to 2016.

Sugar beet seedlings and young plants are susceptible to aphid feeding, which transmits viruses that can lead to decreased beet size and lower sugar content. Such viruses can reduce yields by up to 50%, adversely affecting individual farmers, national sugar production, and an industry that employs nearly 10,000 people nationwide.

More than half of the UK’s sugar supply originates from domestic sources, and in 2020, 25% of the national sugar beet crop was lost, resulting in a total economic impact of £67 million on the industry.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer stated:  

We understand the severe consequences that a beet yellow virus outbreak could have on farmers’ livelihoods. Therefore, we see the granting of an emergency authorisation as both necessary and proportional.  

The product can only be used when the specified threshold is achieved, and its application will be rigorously controlled. This decision is informed by a thorough scientific evaluation and careful risk assessment.

Sugar beet plants are harvested prior to flowering and typically do not release nectar or pollen through their foliage or stems. Consequently, the sugar beet crop is deemed less attractive to bees, posing minimal risk from bee foraging on its flowers.

The Government recently convened a roundtable discussion with representatives from the British sugar sector and environmental groups, during which the industry’s strategy to phase out neonicotinoids was reviewed. The Farming Minister calls upon applicants and others in the field to accelerate these initiatives, including measures to enhance seed germination, ensuring prompt implementation in agricultural practices.

Additionally, the government has outlined initiatives to bolster Integrated Pest Management in agriculture. This includes new compensatory measures as part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme, offering options for transitioning to insecticide-free farming practices.

These measures will aid farmers in increasing their reliance on Integrated Pest Management strategies, thereby mitigating the risks linked to pesticide use, addressing pesticide resistance issues, and promoting sustainable agricultural productivity.

The Farming Minister has taken into account recommendations from Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser, the Health and Safety Executive, the independent UK Expert Committee on Pesticides, and economists regarding this application.

The UK’s approach to emergency authorisations remains unchanged since leaving the EU, with a continued overarching ban on neonicotinoid pesticide usage.

Notes for Editors:  

• For the full statement of reasons, please visit: Neonicotinoid product as seed treatment for sugar beet: emergency authorisation application 2024 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• In 2023, Defra approved an emergency authorisation for neonicotinoid use with a virus incidence threshold of 63% or higher; in 2022, the threshold was set at 19% or above.
• This decision applies solely to England.
• Updated March 2024: On March 1, the model’s forecast for 2024 predicted an incidence level of 83%. Consequently, British Sugar will treat sugar beet seed with Cruiser SB and distribute it to the growers who ordered it for this year’s sugar beet crop.