ST. PAUL – A Minnesota House agriculture committee hosted a hearing Tuesday to discuss an executive order Gov. Mark Dayton recently issued restricting chemicals widely used by farmers to treat crops.
Dayton’s order aims to reduce the use of neonicotinoids – insecticides used on much of the nation’s corn and soybean crops – amid concerns these chemicals may be harmful to bees and other pollinators. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture recently concluded an 18-month study of the chemical, apparently a catalyst for the governor’s order.
Rep. Paul Anderson, R-Starbuck, chairs the House Agriculture Policy Committee, which led Tuesday’s hearing. He said Dayton’s order is vague and seemingly came out of the blue when the governor announced it at the State Fair in late August.
“A top concern is farmers and other people in the ag industry were not consulted before this executive order was issued,” Anderson said. “This additional layer of red tape could come with many unintended consequences, not the least of which are diminished crop production and added input costs for farmers.”
No action was taken at Tuesday’s informational hearing. Anderson, himself a farmer, said he appreciated the conversation but remains leery of the order’s potential impacts.
“The Department of Agriculture testified it is not looking to ban neonics, rather to reduce the use, and also indicated farmers are not abusing neonics,” Anderson said. “What is the point of this order if farmers already are adhering to the labels and doing the right things as stewards of the environment?
“We all want to protect our pollinators. I have discussed this issue with bee keepers and have learned this is a complex problem with numerous factors contributing to the colony collapse disorder. We need to work together and use sound, practical solutions with this issue. This executive order only serves to further alienate an ag. sector that already was still smarting from the governor’s push on buffer strips.”
Anderson also noted the use of agricultural chemicals currently is regulated by a federal label and that it remains unclear how far Dayton’s executive order can extend. He added legislative action ultimately may be required if the use of neonics as a seed treatment is to be reduced and indicated the discussion likely is to continue when the Legislature reconvenes in January for the 2017 session.
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