National sugar beet crop could face serious losses due to risk from aphids – more than 50% of UK sugar comes from domestic production. Defra has approved an emergency temporary authorisation for the use of a neonicotinoid pesticide treatment on this year’s sugar beet crop due to the risk to the crop from yellows viruses. Emerging sugar beet seedlings are vulnerable to predation from aphids that have the potential to spread beet yellows virus, which can severely affect sugar beet yield and quality. In 2020, 25% of the national sugar beet crop was lost, costing £67m of total economic loss across an industry that creates nearly 10,000 jobs. Defra has attached strict conditions to the emergency authorisation including only allowing for application if independent modelling predicts a virus incidence of 63% or above. If the virus threshold is not met, then the neonicotinoid treated seed will not be used. See also: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neonicotinoid-product-as-seed-treatment-for-sugar-beet-emergency-authorisation-application/defra-economic-analysis-evidence-report-on-the-impacts-of-virus-yellows-on-sugar-beet-production AND https://www.gov.uk/government/news/emergency-pesticide-authorisation-approved-to-protect-national-sugar-beet-crop