SCIENTISTS at the James Hutton Institute have cast doubt on the wisdom of the EU's aim to restrict the use of a range of pesticides, warning that the move poses a threat to food security as a result of reduced crop yields of up to 50 per cent.
In 2009, the European parliament voted for stricter controls on pesticide use and to ban numerous chemicals deemed harmful to human health.
However, according to Professor Ian Toth, controlling weeds, pests and diseases research theme leader at the James Hutton Institute, seeking to ban pesticides based on "hazard" rather than "risk" means that a chemical would be banned even if it was deemed to be hazardous only at levels many times higher than would be used in practice.
Professor Toth asked: "How many medicines would be lost if the same criteria were applied, and would people accept a similar ban?
"We all live with risk on a daily basis and we need to keep this in mind when considering the ways we produce our food - food that we have taken for granted for so many years."
Dr David Cooke, also of the James Hutton Institute, has identified a further downside of the impending changes.
He said: "The agricultural industry uses pesticides out of necessity - and if some products are banned, others will be used in their place. The same amount of a more limited repertoire of products is thus applied. This loss of active ingredients increases the risk of pest resistance towards those remaining."
lCRAIG Wilson Ltd sold 137 store heifers at Ayr on Thursday to a top of £1,160 per head and 281.6p per kg to average £889.05 and 207.4p.
Some 285 store, beef-bred bullocks peaked at £1,300 and 355.6p to level at £914.84 and 214.3p per kg. And 58 store, black-and-white bullocks sold to £860 and 159.3p to average £632.50 and 149.4p.
The firm had 1,618 store lambs forward that sold to £70 for Texels, £66.50 for Beltex, £64.20 for Suffolks, £61 for Cheviots, £57 for Mules and £54.50 for Blackfaces, to average £53.29 overall.
The Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers' Mart sold 4,922 prime lambs in Longtown on Thursday to a top of £100 per head and 250p per kg to average 163.2p.
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