(With reporting from Marty Thompson)
Too much, too fast.
Middlesex County farmer Paul Ward says that seemed to be a common message from the break-out discussions at this week's public consultations in London.
Those consultations were looking at the provincial government's pollinator health proposals, including the idea of an 80 per cent reduction in neo-nic treated acreage by 2017.
Ward says besides the move being too much and too fast, he's also not happy with the suggestion that farmers would have people coming onto their farms to assess whether the treated seeds were needed on specific fields.
He also had a warning.
Ward says if farmers want the stuff - and they can't get it in Ontario - they'll go to Quebec or some neighbouring U-S states to get it and bring it back.
There are more public consultation sessions planned for Toronto and Kingston as well as a couple of on-line sessions and an industry-only event planned for later this month in Guelph.
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Ward says the government needs to listen to what farmers have to say on the issue.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/WARD-Bees-1.mp3"][/audio]
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He warns if the government goes ahead with it's current proposals there will be farmers who will work around the regulations.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/WARD-Bees-2.mp3"][/audio]
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Ward says there was a consensus on at least one point among all the tables during the session's break-out discussions.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/WARD-Bees-3.mp3"][/audio]
