French farmers are getting so tired of beetles chomping on their rapeseed that some of them may decide to further shy away from the crop.
On top of last year’s drought that curbed French plantings to a 14-year low, bug attacks have become harder to fight amid a ban on certain pesticides. The situation has become so bad that 35% to 40% of this year’s crop will be lost in the Burgundy region in east-central France, said Francois Farges, deputy director at Cerevia, a union of cooperatives.
Rapeseed farmers in France, which vies with Germany as the European Union’s top producer, are facing bigger challenges in protecting crops from pests after an EU ban on neonicotinoids, insecticides linked to harming bees. If an adequate alternative solution isn’t found, growers will shy away from the crop in future, according to Vivescia, one of France’s top cooperatives.
Read full, original article: French Rapeseed Farmers Losing War on Bugs After Pesticide Ban
