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Grain Farmers of Ontario is the province’s largest commodity organization,
representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean and wheat farmers.
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Ontario Grain Farmer Magazine

New report confirms value of neonicotinoids to corn and soybeans

GUELPH, ON (January 7, 2016) – A new report, released yesterday by Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), confirms the value of neonicotinoid seed treatments used on corn and soybeans in Ontario.

The report expresses that the potential economic benefits at the farm level can be “critical to crop production in cases where pest pressures would require the producer to replant the entire crop, or when several pests are present in a given field, or when the pest affects end product marketability”.

“The PMRA report is aligned with what our organization has been expressing over the past few years and with what our farmer-members experience in the fields,” says Mark Brock, Chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario. “Pest management is a huge part of grain farming and is essential to ensure a quality end crop, and neonicotinoid seed treatments have been a highly effective tool for Ontario farmers to date.”

In the same PMRA report, it is stated: “identifying pest pressure poses considerable challenges for growers” and “the value of these seed treatments could be substantial for affected growers”.

Grain Farmers of Ontario agrees with these key statements and continues to struggle with the Ontario government’s seed treatment regulations, which include impractical methods and timelines for pest identification. It is evident, and now confirmed by the PMRA, that there is significant and sometimes critical need for neonicotinoid seed treatments on corn and soybeans in Ontario.

Grain Farmers of Ontario

Grain Farmers of Ontario is the province’s largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean and wheat farmers. The crops they grow cover 6 million acres of farm land across the province, generate over $2.5 billion in farm gate receipts, result in over $9 billion in economic output and are responsible for over 40,000 jobs in the province.

Contact:

Mark Brock, Chair – 519-274-3297; cropper01@hotmail.com

Meghan Burke, Communications – 519 767-2773; mburke@gfo.ca

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Grain Farmers of Ontario
Grain Farmers of Ontario is the province’s largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers. The crops they grow cover over 6 million acres of farm land across the province, generate over $4.1 billion in production value, result in over $27 billion in economic output and are responsible for over 90,000 jobs in the province.