AGRI Committee Report
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CHAIR'S FOREWORD
Pesticides and agriculture are inextricably linked and the management of pests remains an important aspect of any farm, big or small. As such, the regulation and registration of agricultural pesticides has been a matter of great concern and import to Canadian farmers for many years.
In response to these concerns, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) was constituted in 1995 to facilitate a more effective registration process. Despite some noteworthy progress in recent years, farmers remain frustrated and impatient with a system that hinders their ability to compete in international markets.
In drafting this report, the Standing Committee solicited the opinions of various agriculture stakeholders to ensure that our recommendations were well informed and representative of the industry at large. This is a most important endeavour given the mandate of the Committee to ensure that Canadian growers are able to remain competitive in the ever-changing agricultural sector.
The fact that Registration of Pesticides and the Competitiveness of Canadian Farmers received unanimous approval from members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food must send a strong message to the PMRA that improvements to the pest management regulation and registration process are necessary.
Charles Hubbard, M.P.
Chair