Seed industry experts and farming leaders from across Europe have met to develop ideas on how best to help shape the European seed industry and ensure it can play its part in driving forward production for food, feed and fuel markets.

Hosted by the NFU near Windsor, the three-day 2014 European Seed Growers’ Group Annual General Meeting saw discussions surrounding the opportunities for reform of the European Seeds Marketing legislation; a continued decline in the availability of crop protection products; as well as an insight into plant breeding during a visit to Syngenta.

NFU combinable crops board chairman Mike Hambly said: “As a seed user I am delighted that we have had this opportunity to compare notes on the challenges facing seed growers across Europe. There are natural synergies between seed growers and users, as we all have the common end goal of sustainably increasing production on-farm to feed an ever growing global population while remaining financially competitive in a global market place.

“To ensure that we can meet this challenge, the conference has further highlighted that we as farmers across Europe must have access to appropriate, quality seed as well as the tools to deliver a safe product to the market; a task becoming increasingly difficult.

"It is therefore vital that regulators understand the challenges faced by farmers across Europe and make decisions based on sound evidence when evaluating the impacts of limiting access to crop protection products and new technologies on farm.”