(OTTAWA) -  As the Government of Canada moves forward with implementing the new Growers’ Own Use (GROU) program for pest control products, Canadian farmers are feeling betrayed by the process. On the eve of implementation three products have been removed from the program based on patent and exclusive use provisions, leading farmers to question the good faith of the pest control product companies participating in the program.

CFA’s position has always been that the GROU program should be a tool to complement the existing Own Use Imports (OUI) program, which allows farmers to import and use less expensive pest control products already approved for use in Canada. In a spirit of cooperation farm groups agreed to participate in the process of developing GROU. To ensure GROU benefits farmers, farm groups submitted a list of 12 products for consideration for inclusion in the program. The Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and the companies that produce the products accepted eight of the 12 products from that list. On that basis farm groups agreed to support further development of the program. At the same time, CFA has insisted the OUI program be maintained in the event the GROU program did not work.

“We accepted this program based on an understanding of what would be included in the program. Eight products stayed on the list throughout the discussions on GROU and it was only just before implementation that three products were suddenly taken off.  Farmers now feel betrayed. This is an act of bad faith. We have to wonder if this now sets the stage for more corporate game-playing in the future of this program.” said Bob Friesen, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA). “This is further support for our position that the OUI program must be maintained with an automatic trigger until GROU has proven itself in the long term through sustained use.”

The GROU program was to have been trial tested through a pilot program earlier this year. Farm groups were concerned when it was revealed the pilot project would take place on paper only, rather than as a real world test program.

“Had we engaged in a true pilot project we would have identified this issue and developed solutions before the program was set to be implemented,” said Friesen. “CFA appreciates the work the PMRA has done in developing GROU, but at the end of the day, farmers must have a program that works for them. Farmers have been continually pushed to give up OUI for the un-tested GROU program. GROU has the potential to be a good program, but the current situation is unacceptable. GROU will only work if all the partners, including the companies, get back to working in good faith.”

-30-

Founded in 1935 to provide Canada's farmers with a single voice in Ottawa, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is the country's largest farmers' organization. Its members include provincial general farm organizations as well as national and inter-provincial commodity organizations from every province. Through its members, CFA represents over 200,000 Canadian farmers and farm families.