http://www.farmingfutures.org.uk/blog/neonicotinoid-ban-interim-report-impact-osr

Rural Business Research (RBR) has recently funded and compiled an
independent report on the interim assessment, of the impact of the
neonicitiod ban, on oilseed crops in England.

*Key highlights include:*

   - The English Winter Oilseed Rape (WOSR) area for 2015 is estimated to
   be 577,000 ha, 8% lower than 2014
   - Main reasons cited for the reduction in WOSR area were “rotation”,
   then “price” with Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle (CSFB) problems third in order
   of importance
   - 240,000 litres of insecticide, mainly pyrethroid based, was applied to
   WOSR crops to combat actual or predicted attacks by CSFB
   - In excess of 1.1 million ha was estimated to have been sprayed against
   CSFB with 33,957 kg of active substance used which represents a 2.5 fold
   increase in the use of autumn insecticides in England to combat the threat
   of CSFB
   - 17% of growers suffered crop losses due to CSFB, with the crop area
   lost estimated at 16,000 ha
   - The total chemical cost used to control CSFB is estimated at £7.8
   million, the cost of their application £11.4 million, the cost of
   replanting was estimated at £0.7 million and the crop lost (and not
   replanted) at £2.3 million resulting in a total loss of £22 million

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