Chiltern Farm Chemicals has been successful in its legal case to overturn the ban on metaldehyde. The High Court ruled that the decision-making process from Defra had been flawed and that the ban should not stand.

Looking ahead, Defra will now have to decide if there is a case to revoke the existing authorisation on the product under article 46 of EU regulation.

Elsewhere, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) lifted the ban on feeding crop treated with maleic hydrazide (MH) to livestock. The ban, which came into place last November, meant potatoes and other crops treated with MH products (used on potatoes for sprout suppression and volunteer control) could no longer be fed to livestock.

NFU Scotland’s potato working group chair, Peter Grewar has welcomed the news: “The decision is good news for growers and NFU Scotland is glad that common sense has won out in the end.

“With maleic hydrazide being an important active for volunteer control and with the recent ban of CIPC, it is even more crucial sprout control as part of an integrated programme.

“NFU Scotland is delighted the HSE has responded to the industry and acknowledged the overwhelming evidence that feeding potatoes treated with maleic hydrazide poses no threat to the consumer’s health or welfare.”