by SUSAN MANN
Ontario farm groups have given the provincial government conflicting advice on its proposal to implement an 80 per cent cut to the acres of corn and soybeans grown with neonicotinoid-treated seeds by 2017.
Public consultations on the proposal that has garnered much controversy and debate in Ontario’s farm community concluded Jan. 25.
On the one hand, Grain Farmers of Ontario told the government in its submission to abandon the goal of cutting neonicotinoid use by 80 per cent.
But another group, the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, said the government didn’t go far enough in its proposal, and the restrictions on neonicotinoid-treated seeds should include other crops, such as sweet corn and wheat. The restrictions on neonicotinoid use should extend to all field crops, the Beekeepers’ Association says in its submission.
Moreover, the neonicotinoid controls should also be extended to its use in foliar sprays, the association says. Otherwise, it asserts, the restrictions won’t have the same beneficial effect on pollinator health.
The Beekeepers’ Association also recommends establishing two no-neonicotinoid zones: a five-kilometre radius around the queen breeding grounds of beekeepers with a permit for queen sales; and a two- to five-kilometre zone around “staging” areas where beekeepers gather bees for movement to pollination sites or summer pastures.
The Ontario government proposal to limit neonicotinoid-treated seed use was introduced in November 2014 by the provincial ministries of agriculture and environment and climate change. It calls for the introduction of a regulatory system to restrict the sale and use of neonicotinoid seed treatments for corn and soybeans under Ontario’s Pesticides Act.
In addition to cutting neonicotinoid use, the proposal has a goal of reducing the overwintering bee mortality rate to 15 per cent by 2020. An agriculture ministry survey concluded the overall bee colony loss in Ontario in the 2013/2014 winter was 58 per cent.
During public consultations, 449 people participated either in person, on the web or through teleconference consultation sessions, an agriculture ministry official says by email. There were also 1,543 written submissions received.
The proposed regulation is to be implemented in July for the 2016 growing season.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture said in its submission there are many factors that compromise pollinator health but the government has focused on just one of them – the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments.
Northumberland County cash crop farmer Bruce Buttar, the Ontario federation director for the counties of Northumberland, Hastings, Prince Edward and Lennox and Addington, says, “there are nine areas that we have identified that we think could potentially be part of the problem.” Buttar is also the federation’s liaison with the Beekeepers’ Association.
The government has acted hastily to pin the blame for poor pollinator health on neonicotinoids and “there hasn’t been any time to study this, any time to research and see what could be the problem,” he says. “They seem to have pinpointed neonics and that’s what they’re focusing on. But there’s no science to really say that this is the whole problem.”
Everyone realizes there is obviously a problem with bee health. “I think that they (the government) have taken a very radical approach to this,” he says.
At the same time, “we don’t really know” what the government means when it says the 80 per cent reduction is an aspirational goal, he adds. Does that mean the government would like to do this “but they’re not really going to, or they can’t?”
Buttar says they’re advising the government to step back and give researchers more time to do their work and to determine how effective are measures, such as dust deflectors on planters and the new fluency agent farmers are using during planting to cut down on dust. Those measures have been in use for about a year.
“There’s been no time to assess some of the things we’ve already done to determine if they’ve been better or not,” he notes.
The Beekeepers’ Association also recommends the government scrap “aspirational” from the proposal.
Grain Farmers of Ontario chair Henry Van Ankum says Grain Farmers has established a pollinator task force, made up of seed industry representatives, certified crop advisers, beekeepers and agricultural input retailers, that is working to develop an alternative plan to the government’s one. The group is presenting the plan to government in February.
“We’re going to make it available at all levels of government,” he says.
Van Ankum says that the consultation process the government went through “no doubt has shown them, I think, the pitfalls of their proposal as well as the challenges of implementing it.” He says he hopes that experience will work in Grain Farmers’ favour by making government officials “open to an alternative that would be more workable.”
Responding to the Grain Farmers position to abandon the 80 per cent cut, Ontario Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal says by email provided by his press adviser, “I am mindful of the concerns many individual producers have, and as their minister, will continue to listen and consider feedback as we move forward.”
Leal adds with the public consultation period now closed, “we will carefully review what we have heard and consider the feedback as we continue with the development of regulations to improve pollinator health and a broader pollinator health action plan.”
He adds, “in order to support a healthy pollinator population, Ontario is taking a balanced, precautionary approach. We are working collaboratively with farmers, beekeepers and all others impacted to implement a plan sensitive to their needs.” BF
Comments
THIS KILLER CHEMICAL SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ALLOWED TO BE USED ON SEED IN THE FIRST PLACE ,IT APPEARS FARMERS DO NOT CARE WHO THEY KILL WITH THERE TOXIC GROWN FOOD !! THANK GOD THE BEE INDUSTRY WOKE UP THE GOVERNMENT ON NEONICOTINOID SEED TRETMENTS BEFORE MORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY THIS TOXIC CHEMICAL !! ANYONE WITH A SMALL BRAIN WOULD KNOW IF THIS TOXIC CHEMICAL IS KILLING BEES THEN WHAT IS IT DOING TO PEOPLE OR ANIMALS THAT ARE CONSUMING THE PLANT !! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH MODERN DAY FARMERS ,IT IS ALL ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE ,NOT PEOPLES HEALTH ,THE ENVIROMENT ,THE WATER & AIR THEY POLLUTE WITH THERE TOXIC CHEMICALS !! THESE PRACTICES HAVE TO STOP ,IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A SAFE FOOD SUPPLY IN CANADA !! I AM AMAZED THAT GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO ARE INFAVOR OF THIS TOXIC WASTE PRODUCT AND FIGHTING THERE FELLOW BEE KEEPERS THAT HELP EACH OTHER IN NATURE IN MANY WAYS !! YOU BOTH NEED EACH OTHER TO SURVIVE IN AGRICULTURE TO DAY ,BY WORKING TOGETHER AND BANNING THE USE OF THIS TOXIC CHEMICAL ON SEED !! IT COULD BE USED HAS A ADVANTAGE IN BUYING LOCAL AND EXPORTING CLEAN, SAFE GRAINS AROUND THE WORLD !! GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES FOR ATTACKING THE BEE ,HONEY INDUSTRY !! THANK GOD WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE IN AGRICULTURE PROTECTING THE FOOD WE EAT !! BILL DENBY ,IMPORTER /EXPORTER OF FOOD PRODUCTS
IS THAT RIGHT BILL
I GUESS YOU MUST BE IMPORTING CERTIFIED ORGANIC WITH NO REMIDIES USED ON IT AT ALL ! NO MILK PRODUCED WITH BST EITHER !
THANKS FOR THE BELLY LAUGH !!
I ALWAYS FIND IT INTERESTING WHEN FARMERS POST CHILDISH THINGS ,INSTEAD OF FACING THE FACTS ABOUT HOW THEY TREAT AND GROW TOXIC FOODS FOR THE PUBLIC TO BUY !! THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE HEALTH OF THE SOIL ,WATER ,AIR ,ANIMALS OR PEOPLE !IT IS ALL ABOUT GREED AND CONTROL OVER WHAT THEY WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW AND PAY !! GOOD LUCK WINNING THIS FIGHT ,PEOPLE ARE STATING TO WAKE UP AS TO WHAT MODERN DAY FARMERS ARE DOING TO THEM AND THERE LOVED ONES !! YES ,I ONLY IMPORT BHT FREE PRODUCTS AND HEALTHY GROWN FOODS !! THANK YOU ,BILL DENBY ,IMPORTER /EXPORTER OF SAFE FOOD
Bill
What ever you are posting, it is really hard to read in all capitals, please turn your caps lock off.
John Gillespie
Ripley
So you would also agree then Bill that raw milk is considered a killer in Ontario/Canada also ?
I realize that people are getting away with selling raw milk and even if they are caught they don't pay the fines but ....isn't it still illegal to sell raw milk in Canada
The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) is still in denial that a neonicotinoid problem exists and that attitude continues to reduce the value of their input to zero.
By choosing to be obstructionist martyrs, GFO is pandering to their own egos as well as completely and all-too conveniently ignoring any semblance of the principle that "we're all in it together".
Furthermore, by choosing to be obstructionist, the GFO is missing the chance to help its membership by being part of the implementation process for what government has effectively already decided to do - thereby deliberately squandering the check-off fees farmers are making in good faith to GFO.
However, the worst thing for GFO is yet to come - years from now people will look back on GFO's current obstructionism as a classic example of:
(A) how not to conduct a business/government relations exercise.
(B) how to permanently squander the credibility of an organization dedicated to government lobbying efforts.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
Perhaps Mr. Thompson who apparently is a Policy Advisory Council member for OFA would like to read and state OFA's position on the neonic issue for all to see.
WE WANTED TO THANK THE MINISTER FOR HIS BALANCE APPROACH ON THIS TOXIC ISSUE ,HIS AID PROMISED TO SET UP A MEETING OR PHONE CALL WITH THE MINISTER A.S.A.P !! THE ONTARIO LIBERAL GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN THE STEPS TO PROTECT MOTHER NATURE AND THE PUBLIC FROM THIS AND MANY MORE TOXIC CHEMICALS THAT ENTER OUR FOOD CHAIN !! THIS IS ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE BAND 100% A.S.A.P ,THE CHEMICAL COMPANIESKNOW WHAT THIS TOXIC CHEMICAL DOES BOTH TO INSECTS AND LIVING PEOPLE !! COMMON SENSE TELLS YOU THAT IF IT IS KILLING THE INSECTS ,IT WILL KILL YOU TO !!THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT NEED TO BE THANKED FOR TAKING LEADERSHIP IN REGARDS TO FOOD SAFETY ,MR.LEAL ,THAT IS WHY YOU ARE THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE !! GOOD JOB SIR !! BILL DENBY IMPORT /EXPORT OF FOOD PRODUCTS
The use of neonics and the problem with honey bees is mch more indepth . The science knows it but emotion has taken over from the public . Public does not know the scope of where neonics are used . The problem is that the bee keepers are having problems that the neonics are compounding . Clean up your own problems first and then see what the neonics are adding to the problem .
So it sounds like Bill would like to see not just a ban on farm use of neonics for corn and soybeans but an all out complete ban of neonics . That being flea collars for pets , bug sprays in residential areas ( cities and towns ) for bug infestations because bees live there too . Flowers that are grown and sold at retail outlets , planted in towns and cities , and the list goes on .
I am sure Bill has used neonics for treating his livestock also so that should be banned too . Just goes to show how much people do not know .
So three bee keepers account for 72% of the bee deaths . Where is the SPCA on this ? If three dairy farmers had death loses of 72% they would have their cows taken away and retricted to never owning livestock again !! Some one is looking for some one else to blame and to pay for their lack of animal husbandry skills .
I CONTINUE TO BE AMAZED FROM THE SUPPORTERS OF THIS TOXIC KILLER SEED TREATMENT CHEMICAL ,PLEASE STOP BEFORE NONE OF YOU HAVE ANY CREDITABILITY LEFT !! THIS PRODUCT SHOULD NEVER BEEN ALLOWED TO BE USED ON ,IN OR ANYWHERE THERE IS PRODUCTS PRODUCED FOR FOOD BY ANIMALS OR HUMANS !! IT IS THAT SIMPLE ,IF YOU MODERN DAY TOXIC CHEMICAL PRODUCING FARMERS THINK THIS IS A SAVE CHEMICAL ,THEN GIVE IT TO YOUR FAMILY AS A SPICE TO USE ON THERE FOOD !! YA ! NO BODY WOULD EVER DO THAT ,THEN WHY WOULD YOU ALLOW IT TO BE APPLIED TO SEED AND ELSEWHERE FOR INSECTS AND PEOPLE TO UNKNOWLY EAT ! YOU ALL NEED TO GIVE YOUR HEADS A SHAKE ,IT IS NOT ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE ONLY !! IT IS ABOUT GROWING SAFE FOOD FOR ANIMALS AND PEOPLE ,BOTTOM LINE !! BILL DENBY ,IMPORTER /EXPORTER OF SAFE FOOD
So Bill just what are these foods that you import and export ?
Where might we be able to find and buy them ?
No reply?
Editor: anonymous comment modified in accordance with our guidelines.
what will be funny if we do all this and the problem is still there then what. The fools think they have the silver bullet and time will tell. I hope beekeepers have restrictions put on them for the amount of honey they can harvest from their hives
Comment deleted
To think that how the Gov is handling this subject wrong you only have to have heard of the huge gaff from Gov on the disposal of energy efficient light bulbs . These lights contain mercury which I think was covered by every news station this week .
Here locally my recycling association will not pick up light bulbs of any form with the recycling . They do how ever tell you to smash them and put them out with your garbage pickup . Now doesn't that make environmental sense ?
More to the point is the fact that every person who pays a hydro bill has been contributing dollars toward programs to help sell these mercury filled bad for the environment bulbs . Guess it just goes to prove once again that Gov does not know how to manage anything !!
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