Ontario government wants to reduce usage by nearly 80%
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
One of the most heated debates going on through the agricultural circles is the use of neonicotinoids – neonics for short.
Neonics, as defined by Iowa State University, are “a class of synthetic insecticides that are chemically similar to nicotine, the naturally-occurring toxin that is found in plants of the nightshade family.”
One of, if not the sole reason for the disagreements for people who are for and against the use of neonics is the fact that it’s been linked to killing bees – one of the most important pollinators in the world.
Recently, the government of Ontario proposed even stiffer regulations on the usage of neonics to which the Grain Farmers of Ontario have responded.
“They created a new class 12 pesticide category that neonicotinoid seed treatments would fall under,” said Mark Brock, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Grain Farmers of Ontario who has a farm operation near London, Ontario consisting of corn, soybeans and wheat. “Then there’s further requirements on both seed companies who sell it and producers who use it. It looks like there’s going to be some extra paperwork we’re going to have to do.”
If the government’s proposal is successful, they’re looking to reduce the amount of neonics used by up to 80% by 2017.
Brock says farmers were doing their part to reduce neonic use and didn’t quite need these regulations.
“It was always our hope that through voluntary measures we wouldn’t have to need a regulation,” he said. “Now we’re looking at these regulations and we have some concerns about proving we need it and concerns about the agronomy involved.”
There’s a technical debriefing of the regulations scheduled for April 7, 2015.
The public can comment on the proposal until May 7, 2015 and if everything is approved, would officially take effect on July 1, 2015.
Stay tuned as Farms.com will have full coverage of the debriefing after it takes place.