The future of UK sprouts is under severe doubts after the new European pesticides laws hit the heart of the traditional trade.
The new legislation will make sprouts very hard to grow in the UK in the future, with crop protection products less widely available to farmers and growers.
The proposals, part of the Thematic Strategy on Pesticides, will be put to MEPs in January for final approval.
The new laws could have a considerable impact on the UK horticulture industry and may see a reduction in crop yield and quality. At a time when food security and food prices are an issue, this move will also force up prices for other household staples such as potatoes and broccoli.
Martin Haines, director of sprout grower WR Haines, told freshinfo: “We’re unhappy with these plans without a risk assessment.
“It does seem very strange that these chemicals can’t be used in Europe but [produce] from outside Europe can be imported - why is there no world ban?”
NFU vice-president Paul Temple said: “Only last week, prime minister Gordon Brown said it was unfortunate that few other member states appear to have examined the impacts of these proposals as carefully as the UK.
“He said he remained concerned that the European Parliament’s committee is continuing to press for changes which could damage agriculture and food production without securing any meaningful benefits for health or the environment.
“I am also concerned over the lack of sound science behind the plans and we cannot support measures which reduce the tools available to farmers and growers to produce crops - particularly at a time when we need to be increasing food production, not restricting it.
“We are calling on our members to write to their local MEPs to express their concerns over these proposals and ask them to reject this deal at the plenary vote which will take place in Strasbourg in early January,” he said.
WR Haines has recently teamed up with chef Felice Tocchini to try to make sprouts more glamorous. The campaign has earned them coverage from the likes of BBC's Country File, The One Show, Midlands Today and GMTV.
"We have been very positive about the sprout and Felice's recipes have been a great help in engaging young people," said Haines.
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