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American Bird Conservancy incentivizing neonic-free seed use

The director of government relations for the American Bird Conservancy says funding is now available for farmers interested in sourcing and using seeds not coated with neonicotinoid insecticides.

Hardy Kern, who oversees the organization’s Pesticides and Birds Campaign, says the “Untreated Seed Pilot Program” offers payments on a per acre basis.

“Try to find a way to give growers seeds that are still the right traits that they’re looking for.”  He says, “Still have the fungicide coatings, but don’t have that neonicotinoid insecticide coating on them, and we’re also not looking for people to change any of their other agricultural practices.”

Since 1970, Hardy says it’s estimated the U.S. has lost around 3-billion birds.  He tells Brownfield research has shown the negative impact neonics have on insect and bird populations.

“We know that a bird that is exposed to a single seed coated with a neonic might come across enough active ingredient to be lethal.”  He says, “We’re really trying to help fight back against that 3 billion bird loss.”

Kern says the program is available to any producer interested in using non-neonic treated corn, soybean, and cereal crop seeds.

“Even growers that are interested in sourcing different types of seed that don’t have this coating on them have run into problems in all parts of the country of even finding it.”  He says, “About 97% of corn grown in the United States has a neonicotinoid seed coating on it.”

A link to learn more can be found at HERE.

AUDIO: Hardy Kern – American Bird Conservancy

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