on February 25 | in Ag News | by Blair Andrews | with No Comments

From a news release

Ontario is seeking public feedback on a draft action plan to improve pollinator health and reduce pollinator losses.

Pollinators, including honey bees, are essential to Ontario’s agricultural sector and contribute approximately $992 million worth of economic activity annually to the economy. The province became the first jurisdiction in North America to protect bees and other pollinators through new rules introduced on July 1, 2015, to reduce the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds by 80 per cent by 2017.

Now, Ontario is looking for the public’s feedback on a proposed plan to improve pollinator health that will address:

• Habitat and nutrition
• Diseases, pests and genetics
• Climate change and weather
• Pesticide exposure

The proposed plan will be posted on the Environmental Registry until March 7, 2016. Additionally, the public can also provide input on protecting pollinator health by completing a public survey.

More info at: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/

About the Author: Blair Andrews

Blair Andrews is Editor of Farm Market News and AgriLink at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus. He conducts market research in ag commodities and publishes daily digests of market news for Ontario farmers. He has more than 30 years of media experience and has worked in the past for the Ontario Ag Radio Network and Chatham This Week. His articles have appeared in The Chatham Daily News, The Chatham Voice, Ontario Farmer, Today's Farmer, Farmers Forum, the Ontario Grain Farmer and Top Crop Manager.

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