The report focusses on 16 substances used in crop protection products which could be removed from the market under the current proposal. However, the number we expect to be removed from the market could be far greater, as high as 50 substances, possibly more.
Some of the key findings from the report are as follows:
- Use of the 16 substances in the cultivation of seven key staple crops in the EU (potatoes, barley, wheat, sugar beet, rapeseed, maize and grapes) contributes to between 34 and 69 million tons or between €4.1 and €8.3bn of crop value;
- If these substance were no longer available, the EU’s trade balance could be negatively affected: the volumes imported into the EU could quadruple: from currently 7 Mt of maize, OSR and sugar beet to some 28 Mt;
- The EU would effectively have to move from net exporter to net importer for barley, potatoes and grapes to fulfil the demand.
- Higher short-term yields for these crops support farmer income of between €4.1 and €8.3bn; in addition 0.8 million jobs in 5 countries are contingent on the crops covered by this study;
- Without the 16 substances, the exported volume for wheat could halve.
For more information:
www.ecpa.eu