A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change outlined the requirements of the new Polinator Health regulations for producers at the Blyth Elevator for Snobelens Farms Wednesday.
Michael Dogget explained the province has asked producers to reduce the acreages planted with soybean and corn with neonicotinoid seed by 80 per cent by 2017.
Dogget also points out the regulations do allow farmers the opportunity to demonstrate their need to use the treated seed so they want to make sure farmers understand the declaration and the assessment reports if they want to use that seed and the requirement to store those files and provide them to sale reps and vendors.
Dogget adds one thing he believes is particularly important with any compliance program is the education and outreach but also to level the playing field. He says a lot of farmers and vendors want to comply with the requirements to protect the pollinators so keeping the playing field level is a big driver in meeting their goals but also to normalize it within the sector.
More information can be found by going to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change web site and searching Pollinator Health Action Plan.
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Doggetpoints out the regulations do allow farmers the opportunity to demonstrate their need to use the treated seed.
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Dogget also spoke about the need to level the playing field....
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