Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Legal process 'taking more time than anticipated' Grain Farmers of Ontario says

Friday, August 7, 2015

by SUSAN MANN

Grain Farmers of Ontario is hoping next week it will hear a court date for its challenge of the provincial government’s new rules on the sales and use of neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds.

In its application asking the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for an interpretation of the regulations that came into effect July 1, GFO had the date of Aug. 4 for the matter to be heard in court. But GFO spokesperson Meghan Burke said that date “has now come and gone. We have continued the (legal) process. It’s just taking more time than anticipated.”

GFO chair Mark Brock said in a June 29 press release “there are numerous areas of serious concern for farmers and the grain industry within these regulations and we believe it is critical that the regulations be thoroughly reviewed by the court.”

Along with asking for the court’s interpretation, GFO wants the regulations’ implementation date moved to May 1, 2016 or a time when the requirements of the new rules “can reasonably be met,” the release says.

The government’s regulations aim to reduce the acreage where farmers use neonicotinoid-treated seeds by 80 per cent by 2017. Currently the seed treatment is used on almost all of the corn and about 60 per cent of the soybeans grown in Ontario, according to information on the website of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. The two crops are grown on about 2.5 million acres each in Ontario.

“A recent review of 800 peer-reviewed scientific papers by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Task Force on Systemic Pesticides indicated that neonicotinoid insecticides are having impacts on pollinators and other organisms, such as birds, earthworms and aquatic invertebrates,” the ministry’s website said.

As for farmers wanting to order seeds for the 2016 growing season, Burke said they “should follow the law. I hope we have some more answers next week.”

GFO “is still optimistic that we’re moving in the right direction,” she said. BF

Current Issue

September 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Canadian Farmers Face Weaker Soybean Yields Ahead

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Statistics Canada forecasts that Canadian soybean production will decline in 2025, reflecting weaker yields across major producing provinces. Nationally, output is projected to fall by 7.3% year over year to 7.0 million tonnes. The decline is linked to a drop in yields, which are expected... Read this article online

Canadian Corn Outlook Shows Mixed Regional Trends

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Statistics Canada projects Canadian corn-for-grain production to grow slightly in 2025, despite drier-than-normal weather and high temperatures that have pressured yields. National production is forecast to rise 1.4% year over year to 15.6 million tonnes. This gain comes from higher... Read this article online

Wheat Output Decline Projected for 2025

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Statistics Canada’s latest modelled estimates suggest that wheat production in Canada will decline slightly in 2025, driven primarily by weaker yields across several regions. National output is expected to edge down 1.1% to 35.5 million tonnes, with yields forecast to fall 1.2% to 49.6... Read this article online

Scouting and Managing Resistant Weeds in Ontario

Monday, September 1, 2025

As the growing season winds down, now is an ideal time for Ontario farmers to assess the effectiveness of their weed control strategies and prepare for the next growing year. Dr. Holly Byker, Agronomy Manager at the Ontario Crop Research Centre in Winchester, emphasizes the importance... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top