Suffolk divided over easing of neonicotinoid ban on beet

Suffolk National Farmers' Union (NFU) chairman Andrew Blenkiron said it was "good news" after farm minister Mark Spencer approved "emergency" use of neonicotinoid Thiamethoxam next year to combat outbreaks of Virus Yellows disease in sugar beet crops.

Farmers are hoping gene editing or other breakthroughs will help them control the disease at a future point but many see it as a key part of their armoury in the meantime.

But Suffolk Wildlife Trust said it was deeply disappointed and warned that it could be harmful to wildlife in the county.

Neonicotinoids are banned in the European Union - mainly because of their harmful effects on bees and other pollinators.

But British Sugar and NFU Sugar made a joint application to enable its use on beet seeds to protect plants from Virus Yellows.

"It helps to give us security of yield and can take a massive element of risk out of the equation," said Mr Blenkiron.

"I am sure that farmers will utilise this “tool” as part of their planning process. We will probably split the risk and use it on half of the crop."

British Sugar agriculture director Dan Green said the use would be strictly controlled.

“The seed treatment will only be used if a predetermined, independent threshold is met in March," he said.

"A bare minimum amount is to be used, there is a restriction on flowering crops being planted in the same field following seed-treated sugar beet, and growers must take part in knowledge exchange programmes.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust described the chemical as "lethal" and said even a miniscule trace could disrupt a bee’s ability to navigate and reproduce, significantly reducing the chance of survival.

Research published in 2023 found harmful neonicotinoids present in more than 10% of English rivers, the trust pointed out.

Its director of wildlife conservation and recovery Ben McFarland said: “Suffolk Wildlife Trust is deeply disappointed that the UK Government has once again approved the emergency use of the banned pesticide thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid that is devastatingly toxic to bees and other pollinators.

"Thiamethoxam finds it ways into rivers and streams, including the River Waveney on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, exposing the aquatic invertebrates that live there and putting the health of wildlife in our waterways at risk."

He pointed out that almost a third of farmers in England chose not to use the treated seeds in 2022 and called on British Sugar and the NFU to reduce their reliance on the chemical.

“We work with many farmers and farming clusters in Suffolk who are making brilliant adaptations to their land and practices to be more nature-friendly,” he said.

Farming minister Mark Spencer said beet yellow virus could have a damaging impact on farmers' livelihoods and felt an emergency authorisation was "necessary and proportionate".   

"The product can only be used if a threshold is met, and its use will be strictly controlled," he said.

"Sugar beet plants are harvested before they flower and do not generally exude through leaves or stems. Given this, the sugar beet crop itself is considered to be unattractive to bees, and there is little risk arising from bees foraging on pollen and nectar of the sugar beet crop."

Aphids  can transmit viruses to plants, cutting their size and reducing their sugar content. The viruses can reduce yields up to 50%, said the government.

In 2020, about a quarter of the UK's national sugar beet crop was lost at a cost of about £67m. More than half of UK sugar comes from domestic production.