The Agricultural Science Association (ASA) has slammed last week's decision by the European Parliament on the regulation of plant protection products.

ASA President, Gerry Scully said the decision could result in the banning of up to 60% of the top 10 plant protection products, leading to devastating consequences for yields and income in tillage farming. Vegetable and grass production would also suffer seriously.

"The European Parliament has ignored the overwhelming scientific evidence on the safety of plant protection products. As well as seriously restricting the use of long established and proven safe products, the decision would also severely restrict the development and use of new products."

"Unless the European Parliament decision is amended by the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers, the ability of Irish and EU farmers to produce sufficient quantities of safe, quality food will be dramatically curtailed," he said.

Stressing Ireland's unique vulnerability to wet weather fungal diseases such as potato blight and septoria in cereals, Gerry Scully said arbitrary restrictions on the use of scientifically proven products would have much greater implications for yields, quality, incomes and employment in Ireland.

"If the Parliament decision was reflected in EU legislation, the end result would be an increase in imports of food that is not produced to the same rigorous standards as in the EU. With world food stocks at their lowest level in decades, the cost of food would also increase," he said.