They will be coming to the area with the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) to report on the effect that upcoming EU regulation concerning pesticides may have on potato farmers.
T
he legislative proposal being discussed in Brussels will limit the availability of pesticides in the European markets. In the worst case scenario, the sale of up to 80 per cent of crop protection products used in agriculture today could be banned, which would affect many farmers in the Driffield area.

Growers are more conscious than ever of the quality of potatoes, knowing that people will not buy their produce if they have even the slightest blemishes
The risk of losing quality, and quantity, is present at every stage of the growing process.

"It is not that potatoes are difficult to grow, but it is very easy to get it wrong" said Mr Philip Huxtable, from Southburn-based JSR
Potato farmers have a long list of pressures on their shoulders. As a result, the number of growers in the UK has decreased significantly over the years. The British Potato Council data shows a 70 per cent decrease in registered potato farmers since 1997.

The use of fungicides by potato farmers is already strictly regulated. Further reductions of available fungicides, or imposed use limitations, may result in devastating losses.

In the short term, consumers are likely to see consequences in their shopping basket. Data from the British Potato Council shows a strong linkage between price and production levels.

According to Nomisma, an Italian research Institute, hould the proposed legislation go through, European potato production could decline by 33 per cent in 2020.

To find out more about JSR Farms, click here