UK - Shortage of fungicide products a real concern

Concerns are mounting in the combinable crops sector over the prospect of shortages of key fungicide products as the season progresses.

Some growers are finding they are unable to secure supplies of new SDHI and leading triazole fungicides or, at the very least, are facing a wait for availability of these products.

This comes at a time when growers are struggling to cope with massively increased disease pressure in crops as the result of wet weather and disrupted spray programmes. According to John Poulton of CropCo, with T2 applications expected to get underway in earnest next week, a significant proportion of growers – up to 30 per cent – had still not got sufficient fungicide on farm to meet their requirements.

ProCam’s Tony John said high early season disease pressure had resulted in problems with phasing of supplies to the UK market. But the total volume of product available for the market was appropriate – so far, he said.

"It’s certainly been a difficult season but so far we have been able to meet our customers’ needs,” he said.

Nigel Last of Anglia Farmers said growers were responding to high disease levels by raising fungicide rates and this was driving increased demand.

"It’s been a huge year for triazoles and supply of some will be tight. But I don’t for one minute think we will run out of fungicides in the UK,” he said.

Agchem manufacturers were pointing to unexpectedly high levels of demand arising as a result of the high disease pressure.

BASF cereal fungicide manager Peter Hughes said: “This season is developing into one of the highest septoria pressure seasons we have seen for many years and with that has come a very high and increased demand for fungicide products.

"BASF has brought additional stocks of fungicide products into the UK in an attempt to help meet the heightened demand.”

Bayer CropScience’s Alison Daniels said planned demand had been met but recent wet weather was increasing demand further.

"We’ve been able to increase volumes above that originally demanded. We are now working to bring in additional volumes for T3,” she said.

Syngenta Crop Protection said: “We have encountered additional demand for products especially new chemistry. We will strive to meet demand where possible in this exceptional season.”

One East Anglian farmer, who preferred not to be named, said he had tried to purchase a leading triazole on Tuesday this week and was told there would be no supplies available for 10 days.