REGULATIONS
Regulations
Agricultural producers must comply with a number of laws and regulations. The following list is not exhaustive, but it includes the main regulations that apply to agriculture.
At the federal level, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency is responsible for registering all crop protection products that can be used in Canada. The Pest Control Products
Act requires that products be used according to label instructions, with respect to doses, appropriate protective equipment, and re-entry and harvesting intervals, etc.
You can search for information on a registered product label here:
In Quebec, agricultural activities are regulated, among others, by the Agricultural Operations Regulation (AOR) and the Pesticides Management Code. The AOR aims to limit the overfertilization of cultivated land with phosphorus and the potential contamination of bodies of water with fertilizers. It is this regulation that obligates every farming business to produce an annual agro-environmental fertilization plan (AEFP) and phosphorus report (refer to the AEFP section on the website). The requirements for piles in the field; the minimum distances from ditches, water bodies, and wells; and the final dates for spreading certain fertilizers are also outlined in the Act.
The Pesticides Management Code regulates the use of certain crop protection products by limiting the use of active ingredients that pose the greatest risk to the health of users and the environment. This regulation obligates a farmer to obtain a prescription and a justification for purchasing and applying pesticides that contain one of the 5 regulated active ingredients: atrazine, chlorpyrifos, clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam. The Pesticides Management Code also includes standards to be met for compliant storage of plant protection products and requires that application records be kept for all pesticides used on the farm.
Finally, it is important to remember that many municipalities have adopted a specific regulation, sometimes more restrictive than provincial legislation, with respect to the use of pesticides or minimum width of riparian strips when applying fertilizers or crop protection products. In Quebec, the minimum setback distances are 3 m from watercourses, 1 m from ditches, and 30 m from individual wells. Some municipalities may require more restrictive setbacks.
Helping our clients manage cultivated land also means having sound knowledge of current regulations. We are here to guide you and answer your questions so you can operate your business in compliance with the existing laws and regulations.