The National Farmers’ Union is calling for speedy action to save the UK potato industry from a potentially devastating pest.
The Epitrix flea beetle is at risk of spreading from affected regions in Spain and Portugal and agronomists are worried it could wipe £40million from the potato market if it arrives in the UK. They also believe that if it does reach the country it would be impossible to eradicate and costly to control.
Growers, processors and packers have been urged by the potato industry to notify the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) if they buy products from both these countries. The NFU believes this does not go far enough and wants the notification system to be set on a statutory basis as soon as possible.
NFU potato forum chairman Allan Stevenson said: “We hope that the entire industry will join forces to call for statutory measures to ensure swift action against this threat. It is vital that we take the lead in Europe on this issue to protect our growers from any possible harm.”
The European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO) has, in the meantime, published a Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) on Epitrix, sooner than expected which may provoke EU-wide measures to manage the pest actively such as listing it as a quarantine pest.
In the meantime, however Stevenson stressed that growers should continue with the FERA notification scheme.
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