Carl Schmitzer Jr. is a farmer from Gaweinstal. Despite the use of a new foliar fertilizer, he also sees the end of domestic beet cultivation and with it Austrian sugar production due to the EU ban on “Neonics”. Why then is there a threat of much worse quality of white gold than before the ban.
Due to the EU ban on “Neonics”, the waves are still running high among domestic beet growers. While these agents can still be used in dog and cat flea collars, they are banned from domestic farmers. But precisely that would have been an environmentally friendly and reasonably effective protection against beet weevils, aphids and the like, is the tenor among farmers.
Don’t lure any pests yet
Carl Schmitzer Jr. from Gaweinstal in the Mistelbach district is growing beets on three fields this year. He does not think highly of the pheromone traps that – as reported – have been buried with 155,000 buckets by the beet growers in Lower Austria.
“I don’t catch all the beetles with it and I don’t want to lure the pests into the fields,” explains the farmer. The weather has so far kept pest pressure very low. In addition, he used a new foliar fertilizer from a company from Neulengbach, which can also be used in organic farming. “That means the pressure is a bit less,” he estimates.
Gloomy prospects
But Schmitzer also believes that the battle against the beetle will certainly be lost with the EU ban, because the population is growing every year. This threatens domestic sugar production. Then you would have to import sugar treated with substances that were banned in this country 30 years ago, he describes a bleak future.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
