A proposed fee increase to register pesticides in Canada won’t have a significant impact on pesticide prices, says a representative of CropLife Canada.
Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency collects fees from crop protection companies when they want to register a new pesticide or register an existing product for a different use.
The PMRA introduced the fees in 1997, but the agency hasn’t revised the fee structure for the last 18 years.
Pierre Petelle, vice-president of chemistry for CropLife Canada, said the PMRA wants the industry to cover 30 percent of what it costs to review registration applications.
Petelle said the industry was responsible for approximately 25 percent of the cost when the fee was introduced, but the percentage shrunk as the PMRA budget expanded.
He said it’s reasonable to increase the fees so that crop protection companies pay $12.5 to $13 million a year instead of the current $8 million a year.
If Parliament approves the fee changes, they could take effect by the spring of 2016.
robert.arnason@producer.com
