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Study For Industry Group Puts High Cost On Neonic Regs

CropLife Canada says the province's neonic regulations are going to cost Ontarians more than 660 million dollars a year.

CropLife represents the manufacturers, developers and distributors of plant science technologies such as pesticides.

The group hired an Ottawa-based company to analyse the costs of those proposed regulations.

The study argues the regulations will reduce corn and soybean yields in the province.

It says that's going to have an impact on transportation companies, food manufacturers and exporters.

The study suggests the regulations would come with about 26 million dollars worth of red tape costs - things like applying for licenses,, purchasing verification and tracking and staff training.

CropLife Canada President and CEO Ted Menzies says all those costs come without any tangible evidence the regulations will have any positive impact on bee health.

Menzies claims the consensus among professional agrologists is that the system be proposed is naive and unworkable and will not accurately predict pest threats.

CropLIfe argues it's hard to understand why the government would put farmers at such a huge competitive disadvantages when neonics have been thoroughly assessed and approved by Health Canada.

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