GFO denied seed treatment appeal by Ontario Court of Appeal

Farmer organization says it isn’t done fighting

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

The Ontario Court of Appeal denied Grain Farmers of Ontario’s (GFO) request for an appeal when it comes to the province’s seed treatment regulations.

“The decision is both frustrating and disheartening for myself, our farmer members, and the grain industry,” said GFO Chair and farmer Mark Brock.

In March, GFO argued that the rules surrounding neonicotinoids are harmful to their operations – a sentiment the court disagreed with on Wednesday.

“The Regulation is not ambiguous and GFO has not identified a genuine dispute about the farmers’ rights and obligations,” the court said in its decision Wednesday afternoon.

Brock said the judgement showed that farmer rights have been affected by the regulation and creates issues for producers; as a result, GFO has enlisted the services of BDO to investigate the socio-economic impacts of the regulations.

“This issue remains a top priority for Grain Farmers of Ontario and we will continue to engage government on this topic today and into the future.”

Ontario is trying to reduce neonic usage by 80 per cent by 2017; part of the new regulations include farmers who plant more than 50 per cent of their total corn or soybean acreage using neonic-treated seeds will have to fill out a pest assessment report.