CCC & CCGA release
March 31, 2021 – Earlier today, Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) released its final special review decision on clothianidin and thiamethoxam, two important seed treatments that farmers use to protect their emerging canola crops from early season pests. The final decision found that current use of these products by canola farmers does not pose an unacceptable risk to aquatic invertebrates and that the product use be maintained for seed treatment on canola.
“This is great news for canola farmers as it maintains our ability to protect the canola crop at its earliest stages of development,” says Mike Ammeter, Chair of Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA). “Flea beetles can dramatically reduce stand viability if not controlled early and maintaining access to these products is important for the environmental and economic sustainability of the crop.” Seed treatments play an important role in a canola farmer’s integrated pest management plan and the environmental sustainability of canola.
“We’re pleased that PMRA allowed time to consider all the relevant data to arrive at a decision based on the best science available,” says Curtis Rempel, VP crop production and innovation at the Canola Council of Canada (CCC). “Our competitiveness as an agriculture sector relies on a regulatory system built on rigorous scientific analysis and evidence-based decision making.”
The proposed PMRA special review decision from August 2018, based on results exclusively from data modelling, proposed a phasing out of the two products for all agricultural uses. Canadian Canola Growers Association and Canola Council of Canada worked with farmers and industry stakeholders to present field-level data into the impact analysis of these products.
“As part of our stewardship effort, we provided three years’ worth of scientifically robust field-based research that supported the environmental sustainability of these products,” says Mark Walker, Policy Manager at CCGA. “Today’s decision is in line with the evidence we found.”
Canadian Canola Growers Association represents canola farmers on national and international issues, policies and programs that impact farm profitability. For more information visit www.ccga.ca or follow CCGA on Twitter @ccga_ca.
The Canola Council of Canada is a full value chain organization representing canola growers, processors, life science companies and exporters. For more information visit www.canolacouncil.org or follow CCC on Twitter @canolacouncil.
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Media Contact:
Kelly Green, Director of Communications, CCGA
204.789.8821
kellyg@ccga.ca
Heidi Dancho, Director, Communications, CCC
204.227.5731
danchoh@canolacouncil.org
