On Wed, Nov 27, 2013 at 10:20 PM, randy oliver wrote:

>
> This raising of grower awareness is wonderful!  I'm currently in
> correspondence with a U.S. agricultural extension agent who tells me that
> for growers who plant Bt corn, neonic seed treatment is generally uncalled
> for and a waste of money....
>

It is not a waste of money if the seed companies are not going to make the
untreated seed cheaper.  That was what a Pioneer seed salesman told me:
untreated seed will be same price as treated.  They are only making
untreated seed available because they are being forced to by PMRA.  But
PMRA should also force them to sell the untreated without the treatment
cost just because of the point you are making Randy.  I think that PMRA has
the clout to do this and at present seems to be open to beekeeper pressure
and this would not be an extreme demand.  A problem is that the seed
companies are setting the seed price, not the neonic makers.  But if they
can be pressured to *offer* the untreated, maybe they can be pressured to
remove the treatment price on it.

Stan

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