By Nigel Maxwell

Neonics phase-out raises stinging questions for Sask. honey industry

Aug 16, 2018 | 5:00 PM

A plan by the federal government to phase out the use of nicotine-based pesticides (neonics), has Saskatchewan’s honey industry buzzing.

Jake Berg, the Vice President of the Saskatchewan Beekeeper’s Development Commission, said he has mixed feelings about a three-year window offered to farmers, to figure out what other what pesticides they can use to protect their crops from aphids and mites.

“I’m very reluctantly happy with it being phased out but the big but is what’s going to be used instead of the neonics,” he said.

Health Canada began studying the pesticides in 2012 amid concern they were contributing to the collapse of honey bee colonies. Berg said there has not been a huge impact in this part of the country.

“You know in western Canada we don’t see the same issues that they see in the U.S midwest and eastern Canada, and Ontario where they are using it on corn,” he said.

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Trevor Rehaluk runs Rehaluk Honey near Nipawin. He said he too is a bit skeptical about the scientific findings.

“They say that’s what killing the bees but how can you prove it when Bayer Crop Science owns everything,” he said. “They kind of rule the world those guys.”

Bayer recently acquired the agriculture chemical producer Monsanto in a $62 billion merger deal that closed earlier this summer.

Paul Thiel, VP Product Development & Regulatory Science, Bayer CropScience Inc, emailed a statement to farmnewsNOW. 

“Bayer is extremely disappointed in Health Canada’s announcement of their proposed phase-out of the insecticide clothianidin for agricultural and most other outdoor uses,” she said. “Canadian growers value clothianidin due to its efficacy, safety to applicators and favourable environmental profile, when used according to label instructions.”

Thiel said Bayer would  conduct a thorough review of their proposal and supporting data, and would provide input into the consultation process. 

The federal government has established a 90-day period to give stakeholders a chance to weigh in on the measure. Colleen Hennan , a spokesperson for the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan told farmnewsNOW they were not prepared at this stage to comment on the government’s announcement, but added they would be submitting comments to the consultation.

— with files from The Canadian Press

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell