Farm and Food Care seeks growers to participate in Internet-based pesticide-use survey

Sunday, December 8, 2013

by MATT MCINTOSH

Farm and Food Care Ontario is asking growers to fill out the 2013 Ontario Pesticide Survey, a project that collects data on trends in agricultural pesticide use.

The survey is completely anonymous, says a recent Farm and Food Care Ontario press release, and provides the government, commodity organizations, and researchers with crucial information on what pesticides are being used on what crops, and in what amounts.

“All you have to enter is what crops you have, and what county you’re from,” says Bruce Kelly of Farm and Food Care Ontario. “Last time, we received responses from about 1,200 of the province’s 20,000 growers, so that’s what we are aiming for now.”

The press release says that, in years past, the information gathered through the survey has “helped justify” such things as emergency uses, and pesticide pricing impacts.

The survey has been run every five years since 1973, and is usually conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. This year, Farm and Food Care Ontario took charge with a new, online version.

“The whole thing works with pull-down menus and doesn’t take long to fill out; it’s very easy to use,” says Kelly. “Previously, farmers had to mail-in their responses, and there were issues quantifying the data afterwards.”

“This version is easier for everybody.”

The survey is open until February 15. BF