Chris Hartfield web

Chris Hartfield

NFU horticuture adviser Chris Hartfield has fired a broadside at the national press for their reporting of neonicotinoids.

Hartfield was in bullish mood when he took the stand at Fruit Focus, saying the public 'could be forgiven for thinking insect pollinators are at the edge of apocalyptic decline'.

Instead, he said, new research showed that losses of bees and other insect pollinators had slowed down in the last few years, and had even seen some increases thanks to growers' hard work in introducing biodiversity onto farms.

However, he pointed out: 'This study was little reported because it didn't fit the national run of doom and gloom stories about bees and pesticides. The press are too simplistic in their approach.'

Hartfield also stressed that the problems around pollinators are more complicated than just one area. 'Everyone in bee and pollinator health wants a silver bullet but you can't point the finger of blame at a single factor.'

Hartfield said the challenges facing bees are around pests and disease, loss of habitat and beekeeping practices, with an alarming decline in beekeepers as a result of an ageing profession.

He continued his rant by claiming there were 'two big losers in this debate - science and bees'. 'We have not found neonics causing harm to bees in real-life field situations,' he said. 'Farming and horticulture are part of the solution to the problem.'

Hartfield concluded his speech by returning to the theme of getting a more positive message out. 'As an industry we need to get better at reporting and promoting our IPM (Integrated Pest Management) strategy.'