“Yes, we use a lot of pesticides,” says Quebec’s Agriculture Minister
Whistleblowers deplore the widespread use of pesticides Bee killers
While science has shown that it is not helpful in the Quebec context.
Our goals aim to reduce the use of pesticides
The minister is reassured in the wake of his acceptance. Regulating prescriptions for some products, such as atrazine, has already paid off.
You bear a big responsibility in changing the farming world
, Parti Québécois member Sylvain Roy told the minister, while looking at the appropriations.
The minister promises big changes to his ministry.
It has been involved in projects that have had and will have the effect of disrupting some of the existing practices.
Lewis Robert’s book, which criticizes the lobbying influence on MAPAQ, described it as:A major event in our agriculture debate since the Pronovost Report
By the founder of the union, Romeo Bouchard.
The Minister did not want to classify the whistleblower brave
At the request of the official opposition. André Lamontani even wanted to mention that he never felt pressured.
There are no public funds for pesticides, says the minister
Minister Lamontani was questioned about a Radio Canada investigation that revealed in December that Quebecers’ money was paid for the controversial use of pesticides.
Glyphosate and other products sprayed just before harvest were compensated by Financière Agricole, causing discomfort among officials.
Financière agricole told us that this is an unacceptable practice
Said André Lamontani, who claims to have demanded that this not be repeated.
The minister expects an end to the “ambiguity” of agronomists
Louis Robert denounces the fact that an agronomist who advises farmers about their use of pesticides can also be hired by a company that sells these same pesticides.
Minister Lamontani hopes he will not be there No more ambiguity between advice and selling
.
To do so, he recalls that his government has mandated the Office of Professions to make recommendations to reform the Agricultural Engineers Act by October 2021.
The law will definitely reflect the spirit of what we asked for
But he did not support placing the matter under guardianship, the minister said, as Lewis Robert had claimed.
In our Letter of Authorization, Quebec requested an opinion on:
- Scope of practice of the profession;
- Acts reserved for agronomists;
- The possibility of regulating the wages of agricultural engineers;
- Option to integrate agribusiness identification and tracking, like some other professions;
- Any other item he deems appropriate.
About 3,000 agricultural engineers work in Quebec fields, including 175 for MAPAQ. This is 30 more than three years, the Minister welcomed.