Members of the Ontario government’s Rural Caucus were updated on farming practices, especially in the area of crop protection, when leaders of AGCare and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) met with them at Queen’s Park today.
Greg Hannam, chair of Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment (AGCare), and Ron Bonnett, President of OFA, told the government members about the efforts and successes farmers have had in reducing the use of pesticides (by 52 per cent in the past decade), and the effectiveness of the user training and certification program by Ontario farmers.
Both emphasized their concerns with expanding usage of municipal bylaws to control pesticide use in Ontario, and expressed the concern that agriculture may end up under the control of municipal laws. “Pesticides are already well regulated by federal and provincial governments,” Hannam told the caucus members, adding that “one more layer of government regulation is unnecessary for farmers.”
Bonnett questioned the efficiency and effectiveness of a potential multi-level approach to enforcement if municipalities are allowed into the mix. “Farmers need to know which pesticide control system will supercede, and are concerned enforcement duplication could result,” Bonnett said.
The presentation also included comments on the Greenbelt Protection Act, now under review; the process for implementation of Nutrient Management regulations and associated funding; and the government’s present approach to consultation with the farming community.
A request was made for a follow-up meeting with the Rural Caucus to review these and developing issues.