Ontario Minor Use Program

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Ontario Minor Use Program

Author:	Jim Chaput - Provincial Minor Use Coordinator/OMAFRA
Creation Date:	01 February 2002
Last Reviewed:	07 August 2009

Introduction
Areas of Focus
The Process
Funding
Prioritization
Collaboration
Tables
Links

Introduction

This web page is a dynamic and current link to all the information you need about minor use initiatives and issues. The minor use program remains as a top priority of almost all specialty crop growers, processing companies, retailers and consumers who want safe and nutritious local food. A coordinated and dedicated effort is required to ensure that Ontario's growers are competitive in the marketplace and have access to the most current Integrated Pest Management (IPM) toolkits for crop protection.

Areas of Focus

The minor use program is necessary to bring pest control products to Canadian minor crop and specialty crop growers that otherwise would not be marketed to them because of their unique and/or limited production area. The minor use program has several areas of focus and includes traditional pest control products as well as reduced risk products and biopesticides. A key area of focus is to continuously find new methods and strategies to manage our numerous crop pests which may include insects, diseases and weeds. New pest management technologies which replace old pest management technologies is a key area of focus. Obtaining IPM tools that help growers effectively manage key crop pests, manage resistance issues and sustain the environment are given priority. Both conventional and organic crop production systems can benefit from an effective and proactive minor use system.

Re-evaluation of older pest control products and consolidation in the pest control marketplace has a direct impact on Canadian minor crop growers. Our own minor use system will be required to meet this challenge as many products undergo re-evaluation at the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). Effective, safe and reduced-risk alternatives will need to be registered for Canadian growers in a timely and transparent fashion.

The Process

The minor use program is administered by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). This agency is responsible for assessing and reviewing all of the data requirements for the registration of pest control products in Canada. All minor use projects must be reviewed and assessed by several teams of scientists at the PMRA. It is the role of the provincial minor use coordinators to act as liaison between the PMRA and those who wish to pursue needed minor use materials. The provincial minor use coordinators are also responsible to prioritizing each commodity's minor use needs annually. A large number of other individuals in various companies and organizations are also involved in this effort and include organizations such as Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Crop Life Canada, the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association, Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers, Flowers Canada, the Canadian Nursery and Landscape Association, the Ontario Field Crops Research Coalition, the Canadian Horticultural Council, Pulse Canada, Ontario Ministry of Environment, other provincial ministries of agriculture and environment, all other minor and specialty crop commodity organizations as well as the research facilities of AAFC, universities and private consulting firms. In other words a collaborative, coordinated team effort is required for our minor use system to be successful.

AAFC's Pest Management Centre is responsible for organizing the national minor use priority setting meeting annually and will conduct the necessary trials for all top priority projects agreed to at this meeting. For the top priority projects, AAFC will make the submission to PMRA and manage the project until its conclusion. All other priorities are the responsibility of the provinces and grower organizations.

Products which are already labeled in Canada on another major or minor crop are eligible for the User Requested Minor Use Label Expansion (URMULE) program. URMULEs can be sponsored by AAFC, grower organizations, crop specialists or other persons. All non-AAFC URMULE proposals must be reviewed and approved by a provincial minor use coordinator.

Products which are not labeled in Canada currently but are available in the USA or Europe are eligible for the User Requested Minor Use Registration (URMUR) program. URMURs must be sponsored by the registrants of the active ingredient, supported by grower organizations, crop specialists and other industry personnel. URMUR proposals must be supported by a provincial minor use coordinator in writing.

Minor use proposals must include letters of support from the registrants, grower organizations, completed forms and as much relevant data as is available from worldwide sources. Once the proposal is complete and submitted to the PMRA, a team of reviewers will notify the sponsor of any additional requirements for or barriers to registration. If crop tolerance trials, efficacy trials, residue trials or other trials are required, then a research team must be established to carry out the necessary studies according to pre-established guidelines. All residue studies must be 'Good Laboratory Practices' (GLP) compliant. Once the data is collected and submitted to PMRA a final decision can be made on the minor use. Traditionally minor use projects requiring field data take at least 2-3 years to complete.

Funding

Projects ranked as the top priority projects at the annnual, national minor use priority setting workshop will be fully funded by the AAFC pest management center. Funding to complete the data requirements for other minor use needs will be the responsibility of the interested provinces, grower organizations or industry associations. In Ontario, sponsors of minor use projects should consult with the provincial minor use coordinator regarding funding options. Limited funds are available for such projects, however efficacy and crop tolerance trials typically cost significantly less than residue trials. The high costs associated with the data requirements on some minor use projects remains as a significant barrier to the success of the minor use program.

Prioritization

Prioritization of all minor use needs must occur on an annual basis so that all levels of government can accurately allocate resources to the most urgent needs. In Ontario, minor use commodity liaison committees serve as the main vehicle for commodity groups to prioritize minor use needs. Crop pests are ranked first and potential solutions are then chosen when available. Each year a detailed priority list for Ontario is established and provided to AAFC. A national minor use priority-setting meeting will be held annually to determine the top priorities for each commodity and/or crop group. Other non-horticultural minor and specialty crops can also contribute to this system of priority-setting on a national basis.

Collaboration

Inter-provincial and international collaboration is a significant component of the minor use program in Ontario and Canada. Commodity specialists and grower organizations across Canada can work together to discuss minor use needs and establish collaborative projects. All of the provincial minor use coordinators must meet annually and communicate monthly on topics of mutual interest. Cooperation with the US minor use system known as the 'IR-4' is a vital link to new, reduced risk and IPM friendly crop management tools. In recent years several joint projects have been conducted on both sides of the border in an attempt to secure joint registrations for both Canadian and American minor crop growers. The PMRA has also instituted a 'joint review' process for new active ingredients whereby pest control product companies can submit a registration package to both countries at the same time with the goal of simultaneous registration. Increased cooperation with the European Union (EU), Australia and the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) Pesticide Program will lead to further advancements in the minor use program in Ontario and Canada.

Tables

See the crop specific minor use tables on this web site. These tables summarize Ontario's annual minor use priorities as determined by commodity subcommittees and industry organizations and also summarize all active minor use projects for the majority of specialty crops in Canada. Projects sponsored by other provinces or being conducted jointly with the US IR-4 program are also listed.

A summary of recent minor use registrations as well as a link to the most recent national minor use priorities will also be found.

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