Media release: NFU-O Calls on Minister to take action to prevent vomitoxin losses

For immediate release – June 20, 2017
(Florence, ON) The National Farmers Union – Ontario has formally requested that Minister Leal require end users and receivers of corn to immediately provide secondary testing for vomitoxin at the farmers’ request.
“Vomitoxin has caused profound economic losses in Ontario this past year, and it is unacceptable that farm families have had to absorb the impact due to unclear testing practices by grain elevators and other end users. These farmers who pay for trucking have no recourse and can be hit with dockage fees from $.50 to $1 per bushel and additional trucking costs of $500-$700 per load if the location won’t receive the grain. That is the key message that NFUO wants the Minister to be aware of,” said Emery Huszka, NFU-O President.
In a letter to the Minister, the NFU-O, as an accredited farm organization, has asked Minister Leal to take the following actions:

• Mandate that end users provide immediate retesting if requested by farmers delivering corn to receivers,
• Direct OMAFRA staff to assess the scope of injury to farmers over the 2016 season, and
• Provide an action plan to identify measures to reduce losses for the 2017 crop year.

“When we expressed these concerns on behalf of all farmers, particularly those who depend on third-party transport services, Minister Leal asked for them to be put in writing so that he may consider them further. We are hopeful that once OMAFRA assesses the economic impact the Minister will feel compelled to do the right thing and ease the regional losses inflicted by vomitoxins in the 2016 crop,” noted Don Ciparis, NFU-O Board member.

For more information, please contact:
Emery Huszka, NFU-O President: president@nfuontario.ca or 226-373-6244
Don Ciparis, NFU-O Board: donciparis@gmail.com or 519-785-0001