b'Salah Zoghlami Clare KinlinAgronomic Affairs Director, Producteurs deSales Manager Crop Division, MacEwen grains du Qubec (PGQ) AgricentreSalah, can you give us an idea of the burden placed onClare, what do you hear from customers in eastern Ontario Quebecs grain growers by these restrictions? about the Quebec restrictions?The administrative burden is heavy. First of all, theWe are often asked about what the provincial govern-prescription the grower must get from the agronomistment is doing in Quebec and how long before it comes is not free. There are additional costs for most of theseto Ontario. There is definitely interest among the public services. It also causes issues with seed supply and seedwhen it comes to pesticides and whats happening in management. Growers sometimes are obliged to changeQuebec. their seed choice at the last minute depending on weather conditions, but [the retailer may not be able to accommo- Why have pesticides become such a lightning rod for contro-date this]. Retailers face the same challenge; they may notversy in your opinion?be able to offer the needed seed if a grower changes hisFear of the unknown is a major cause. We see that over seed preference at the last minute.the over again in the media in general, and pesticides are one of those things that scare people when they hear What changes could be coming down the pipe that will affectabout them. grain growers?Quebec is considering additional changes that could resultHow can retailers best approach the subject if theyre asked in the following developments: about it? When a seed is coated with a pesticide, that seedWe cant expect the public to relate to scientific jargon. could fall under the definition of a pesticide itself. We have to have a good answer when someone says, IApplying pesticide on seeds at the farm gate couldhear these products are poisoning the water. We have be equated with the industrial process of manufacturingto be able to show them how we are using these tools pesticides. responsibly and that were well trained to do that.Pesticides and coated seeds imported from other provinces or the U.S. must be declared. Restrictions may apply to any on-farm activityPOLLSinvolving coated seed: storage, planting, transport and certificate requirements. Prior to this webinar, were you aware of Quebecs restrictive pesticide regulations?In the PGQs opinion, what are some solutions to this? 75% 25%We are encouraging the province to: Make science-based decisionsUnderstand that pesticide usage/management is aAre you concerned that more restrictive pesticide regulations could come complex issue. Pest pressure is unpredictable, chang- to your province?ing from one year to another. Climate change means the66% 33%emergence of new pests. Farm survival is based on many pillars: yield is a bigYes Noone and pesticides must be in the growers toolboxRegulation should not be the first tool in dealing with pesticide issues; many other paths can give better results than restrictive regulation.Tune into our full Retail Roundtable webinar on this very topic! Visit germination.ca/quebec-pesticidesSUPPORTED BY: ENDORSED BY:42GERMINATION.CAMARCH 2022'