The impact of the withdrawal of Long Term Arrangements for Extension of Use for the ornamentals industry

What’s happening to them and when? 

Following a consultation identifying ornamental crop uses, an exercise to transfer LTAEU exemption for non-edible crops to EAMUs was undertaken by the UK regulator. The Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) has now completed this process and issued EAMUs for uses where acceptable risks were identified. 

CRD has now announced the withdrawal of the Long Term Arrangements for Extension of Use with effect from 31^st December 2020. This may mean that a number of products could be lost to industry if an EAMU cannot be obtained for them. 

What actions are AHDB undertaking to make sure products aren’t lost to industry? 

AHDB has identified LTAEU exemptions that have not been transferred to EAMU status. Following discussions with the NFU, AIC (Agricultural Industries Confederation), AgChem companies and various consultants and growers, we have developed a list of targets for new EAMUs. This list is relatively short; many products have already been transferred to EAMUs, a number of products contain active substances that are no longer approved, and in some cases AHDB has already requested an EAMU and had the use rejected due to unacceptable risks to human health or to the environment. 

All of these targeted uses will have already been assessed by CRD and rejected for EAMU authorisation. In the coming months, AHDB will work with authorisation holders and CRD to determine whether such uses can be adjusted to both meet risk assessment standards and remain effective. 

In addition, AHDB will continue to liaise with AgChem companies on a regular basis, working together to bring new products to the ornamentals industry. 

What products will be impacted with respect to the ornamentals industry? 

AHDB will investigate products containing active substances that ceased to be available to ornamental growers following the December 2020 withdrawal of the LTAEU. These include: 

Fungicides:      

difenoconazole - protected uses
sulphur - protected uses
tebuconazole as a straight product (Nativo has an EAMU)

Herbicides:       

bifenox (Fox)
clethodim (Centurion Max)
fluazifop-P-butyl (Fusilade Max)
quizalofop-P-butyl (Leopard) 

Insecticides:     

pirimicarb (Aphox) – outdoor uses and expansion of protected uses
pyrethrins (Spruzit or Pyrethrum 5EC) – outdoor uses

AHDB will additionally look again at active substances which were excluded from the LTAEU prior to 2014, and for which use of newly acceptable mitigations may now allow for the generation of an EAMU.

What can growers do?

All applied products must now have a current on-label approval for use or an EAMU. LTAEU products can no longer be applied as the scheme has already closed.

We are asking growers to get in touch to inform us about specific products that are preferentially used but no longer available under LTAEU.

Queries and requests for new EAMU submissions can be made to eamu@ahdb.org.uk