A task force exploring ways to revamp the controversial Own Use Import program is almost ready to unveil its recommendations, says the Pest Management Regulatory Agency.
“The review is wrapping up. We’ve got pretty good consensus on most of the issues,” said Trish MacQuarrie, director of alternative strategies and regulatory affairs with the PMRA.
She said the group is scheduled to meet once more before the end of April.
“The task force report will come shortly after that.”
MacQuarrie’s assessment is at odds with the viewpoint of one of the task force members, a bulk-buying group that co-ordinated the import of 4.8 million litres of ClearOut 41 Plus glyphosate through the OUI program last year on behalf of its members.
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“I would absolutely refute that. In fact, there is no consensus on the core issues,” said Glenn Caleval, vice-president of Farmers of North America.
He said there is “substantial disagreement” on a proposal that would replace the obligation to prove general chemical equivalency with a stricter requirement that the imported product be absolutely identical to the glyphosate manufactured in Canada.
“Because there is no manufacturer of ClearOut in Canada, it would not be eligible under their proposal,” he said.
Instead farmers would be forced to bring in a product like Roundup, a compromise Caleval contends is unacceptable to many producer representatives on the task force.
CropLife Canada president Lorne Hepworth wouldn’t speak about the specifics of the task force deliberations.
“Until it is all signed, sealed and delivered, it would be premature of myself and maybe disrespectful of others around the table to start speculating about what the absolute final outcome might be.”
But Hepworth said headway has been made on a lot of issues and he agreed with the notion that the meeting in April could well be the final gathering of the task force.
“We’re in the home stretch here for sure, at least in my mind.”
MacQuarrie said it is unlikely that whatever changes are agreed upon will be implemented in time to affect the 2006 OUI program, which is already in full swing.
Farmers are on pace to topple last year’s import total of 5.7 million litres of ClearOut, 84 percent of which was brought into the country through Farmers of North America.
As of March 31, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency had approved the import of 2.99 million litres of ClearOut 41 Plus under 1,477 permits. At the same time last year the agency had approved 2.4 million litres based on 1,398 permits.
Caleval said his group has already received requests for four million litres of the herbicide, compared to 4.8 million litres for all of last year.
“Year-to-date we’re well ahead of where we were, so I guess I’d say it’s going very well.”
By the time the fall applications are in, the PMRA estimates it could review as many as 6,000 permits, almost double the 3,100 applications received in 2005, but that forecast depends on factors such as product availability and the price of ClearOut.
The agency has doubled the number of staff devoted to reviewing the import applications.
Another change that has been made to this year’s program, independent of the pending task force recommendations, is the addition of a form that tells farmers they are responsible for the proper disposal of empty ClearOut 41 Plus containers.
Farmers of North America is the only company offering a recycling program for triple pressure-rinsed, empty OUI pesticide containers.
