Arable farmers let down by EU seeds decision
The European Parliament’s decision to reject proposed Plant Reproductive Material (PRM) legislation represents a backwards step and is a missed opportunity to help increase the resilience of UK arable farms in the face of climate change and to improve their ability to compete internationally, the NFU said today.
The European Parliament’s decision to reject proposed Plant Reproductive Material (PRM) legislation represents a backwards step and is a missed opportunity to help increase the resilience of UK arable farms in the face of climate change and to improve their ability to compete internationally, the NFU said today.
MEPs today failed to support NFU calls to adopt a number of key and pragmatic amendments to essential areas of concern, such as the implications for the arable and ornamentals sector.
Andrew Watts, NFU combinable crops board chairman, said: “It is disappointing that the original aims of simplification and modernisation of the current Seeds Marketing Legislation have been forgotten. The debate seems to have been hijacked by an often factually incorrect media campaign that has got in the way of real progress.
“This review had been viewed by farmers in England and Wales as an opportunity to bring seeds regulation into the 21st century. We have seen the impact of the changing climate on seed availability over the past two years and the European Parliament had an opportunity here to ensure far greater flexibility in the sourcing of seeds on farm, to help guard against shortages but it has not done so.
“The NFU has also pushed for recognition for contract-farmers who have been, and will now continue to be, penalised by archaic legislation that has failed to recognise the necessary changing business structures within the arable sector by increasing the level of legislative burden on-farm.
“The Parliament’s decision is highly unsatisfactory. I now call on the Commission and Council of Ministers to fully engage with industry and seriously consider their amendments, ensuring the file moves forwards to achieve its original aims.”
