But given the key way for government to support uptake of IPM is through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) which was closed suddenly last week, farmers have been left scratching their heads about the continued lack of joined up policy-making and the potential impact this has on the progress made to date.
皇家华人has said it is unclear how the NAP will be supported and delivered, especially without the SFI options, and called into question Defra鈥檚 commitment to proactively supporting IPM uptake without further impacting competitiveness of farmers, with the EU having scrapped its proposed Sustainable Use Regulation and 50% pesticide reduction target.
There鈥檚 also little mention of farming鈥檚 achievements to date and the sector鈥檚 continuing work in reducing the potential risks associated with pesticide use.
NFU Deputy President David Exwood said he was surprised over the lack of detail and commitment to ensure farmers and growers will have the crop solutions they need to produce food now and in the future.
He said: 鈥淭he UK currently has some of the most stringent pesticide regulations in the world which control any potential impact or risks from their use.
鈥淯K farming is committed to demonstrating that it is continuing to take a responsible approach to using plant protection products, and it would have been good to see the NAP mark the progress we鈥檝e made.聽For example, under the previous NAP, we successfully increased training of spray operators, equipment testing and stewardship initiatives. And last year, more than 6,000 Voluntary Initiative IPM Plans were completed on farms across the country. These have resulted in world-leading professionalisation of pesticide use. The focus on IPM also aligns with the NFU鈥檚 own plant health strategy, which puts IPM at the heart of all crop protection activity.
鈥淲hile the government rightly focuses on public health and the environment, it鈥檚 critically important this is balanced with the need to grow affordable British food and increase productivity. For this, farmers and growers need continued support for IPM uptake and access to more effective tools to protect crops from pests, weeds and disease, and to ensure they can run thriving, profitable businesses. The NAP has come up short on the detail of how it will support this balance.
鈥淲e will be working through the full details of the new NAP and working with government to ensure this new plan protects public health and the environment, while also helping聽to聽drive sustainable climate-friendly food production in the UK.鈥� 聽