Health Canada’s Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch (ROEB) will be conducting inspections for crop protection on grape farms this year on behalf of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).  

The regulation of crop protection products in Canada is a joint responsibility of the federal and provincial/territorial governments.

PMRA  is responsible for registering crop protection products to allow for their sale and use in Canada, based on a review of scientific studies, to ensure they meet requirements for human health and the environment if used in accordance with approved product labels, and that they are effective in controlling pests.
 

The Province of Ontario is responsible for regulating the sale, storage, transportation, and disposal of crop protection products, including issuing licences and permits for their use to protect human health and the environment. Provinces may also put additional restrictions on use beyond that of PMRA.

Inspectors are checking for the following: 

-  Adherence to label directions: crop, rate, number of applications, application method, application interval, PHI, REI, PPE, buffer zones, etc.
 

-  Storage of products with expired registrations – usually happens three years after re-evaluation cancels a product. Growers should clearly mark these products as expired or obsolete, indicate they will not be used, and properly dispose of them (such as during the next Clean Farms collection program).
 

-  Storage of products in broken/leaking or unlabeled containers. If the original container is damaged (i.e. leaking product), storage must be in a secondary container of a suitable material with a legible label. The label must clearly indicate the name of the product, the concentration of all active ingredient(s), and the pest control product (PCP) registration number.
 

Source:  Grape Growers of Ontario April 17, 2024 bulletin