A RealAgriculture reader poll suggests farmers and the agricultural industry want Grain Farmers of Ontario to continue the fight against the province’s new seed treatment regulations that restrict neonicotinoid use.
Last week we asked readers: Should GFO Keep Fighting for Neonic Use?
More than 75% of voters who cast ballots in the online poll indicated they wanted GFO to either continue to fight the regulations using legal means or measure the financial cost of losing access to the technology and use the potential negative impact as the basis for making it a campaign issue in a 2018 provincial election. 225 readers participated in the poll.
- 42% of voters thought measuring the financial impact of seed treatment regulations and making it an election issue was the best strategy for GFO.
- 33% voted for continued legal action.
- 24% of poll respondents indicated GFO should accept regulations impacting farming technology and practices and focus on helping members prepare for a new environmental reality for farms in Ontario.
Last week, after losing an Ontario Court of Appeal decision on seed treatment regulations designed to restrict neonic use, GFO chair Mark Brock told RealAgriculture it would measure impact of the regulations and seek to make it an election issue. Poll results indicate significant support for that strategy.
Related:
- Judges Reserve Decision in GFO’s Appeal Over Seed Treatment Regulations
- Standing on Principle, Neonic Court Battle Will Continue, says GFO Chair
