BIRMINGHAM, England, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Britain's farmers must be allowed to keep growing gene-edited crops and using plant protection products currently banned in the European Union if the UK strikes
UK farmers push to retain crop chemicals and gene-edited crops in EU deal
UK-EU Trade Negotiations and Farm Policy
BIRMINGHAM, England, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Britain's farmers must be allowed to keep growing gene-edited crops and using plant protection products currently banned in the European Union if the UK strikes a new pact with the bloc, the president of the National Farmers Union said on Tuesday.
The government is attempting to reset relations with the EU, with talks progressing since last autumn.
NFU Position on Gene Editing and Pesticides
"We welcome the principle of an improved relationship with the EU - one that reduces friction and enables better trade at a time of global instability," NFU president Tom Bradshaw told the group's annual conference.
Tom Bradshaw’s Warning
But Bradshaw said there was real jeopardy for Britain's farmers in the negotiations.
"We mustn't sacrifice our hard-won technological advances in gene editing, or our access to GB-approved plant protection products in order to reach a deal with the EU," he said.
No Running Commentary on Talks
Government Seeks Technical Exceptions
Farming and environment minister Emma Reynolds said Britain was seeking "technical adaptations and exceptions", adding she would not provide a running commentary on the talks.
EU Reset Objective
Agri-Food Export Decline Since Brexit
"In the five years since Brexit we've seen a 20% reduction in our agri-food exports from the UK to the EU. That is what we are trying to address and it is a big part of our broader EU reset," she told reporters at the conference.
Regulatory Gap on Crop Chemicals
About 14 crop protection chemicals banned in the EU since Brexit remain permitted in Britain.
CropLife UK Cost Estimate
Financial Risks for Farming Sector
CropLife UK, whose members include pesticide makers, said in a report this year that losing crop protection tools could cost the farming sector between 500 million and 810 million pounds ($676 million to $1.1 billion) in the first year alone.
Exchange Rate Note
($1 = 0.7400 pounds)
(Reporting by Nigel Hunt. Editing by Mark Potter)
