Pesticide import program lacks farmer appeal

Friday, May 1, 2009

© AgMedia Inc.

by SUSAN MANN

A new federal government program to import certain pesticides from the United States isn’t proving too popular with farmers but farm groups say it could work with changes.

Thamesville-area cash crop and vegetable grower Kim Fysh says farm groups are working to get government to iron out the bugs in the Grower Requested Own Use program, but it could be four to five years before an improved one is available.

Crosby Devitt, manager of research and innovation for the Ontario corn, soybean and wheat groups, says they won’t have updated figures on the number of users for this growing season until season’s end. But “it was very few in 2007 and 2008 for sure.”

Launched in the summer of 2007, The Grower Requested Own Use program allows farmers to import the U.S. version of Canadian registered crop protection products for their own use.

Farmers can only apply to import products approved by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency for the GROU program. This year’s list has 15 products. It’s available at the Regulatory Agency’s website.

Lilian Schaer, AGCare interim executive director, says products are nominated by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency Grower Nomination Committee. AGCare sits on it.

“For a product to get on the list, it has to be exactly the same on both sides of the border,” Schaer says, adding manufacturers have to supply product information so officials can determine if products are the same. Sometimes there are patent issues and manufacturers are reluctant to provide those details. Without that information, a product can’t be included on the list.

Farmers would like some flexibility in the program so that products excluded because of different concentration levels in the two countries could be allowed.

Fysh, who’s used the program five times, says his biggest concern is only old chemicals (10 to 30 years old) are permitted for import. “You have to adjust your farming practices to use that old material.”

Being able to import only old chemicals is a real deterrent. “A lot of people don’t want to use the old chemistry. They want the new stuff.”

Schaer says some growers are concerned about the amount of paperwork involved and “figuring out what the program means and how it works.”

Fysh says filling out the forms is a lot like putting together a patio set from Sears. The first chair takes four hours to assemble, while the second takes one-and-a-half hours and the third takes just 20 minutes. “It’s all familiarity.”

To help farmers use the new program, AGCare has a ‘How To’ guide on its website.

Streamlining paperwork as well as communication between the Regulatory Agency and Canada Border Services Agency and improving cooperation of product manufacturers to supply equivalency data are some improvements farm groups would like to see.

The Regulatory Agency has said it would reopen the former Own Use Import program if pesticide manufacturers aren’t willing to cooperate with the GROU program. Both Devitt and Schaer say the groups would rather have the current program improved.

“Just reverting back wouldn’t necessarily solve the issues,” says Devitt, pointing out the former Own Use Import program had limitations too. It worked very well for a glyphosate product that was imported in large quantities “but it was limited in other ways.”

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency couldn’t be reached for comment. BF