Vermont agriculture committee hears industry concerns about neonic-treated seed, PFAS and market impacts

Representatives of pesticide manufacturers and agribusiness trade groups told the Vermont House Committee on Agriculture on March (date not specified) that the state's ban on neonicotinoid-treated seed and current PFAS proposals could reduce seed choices for Vermont farmers, complicate feed supplies and force greater pesticide spraying.

The industry witnesses said the treated-seed restriction, which they noted mirrors New York's approach and is scheduled for implementation Jan. 1, 2029, risks leaving Vermont farmers with fewer seed hybrids adapted to the state's cooler, shorter growing season. Jean Harrington, senior director of state government affairs for food and agriculture at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), said, "we just don't know how this law is going to shake out" because individual companies are still determining whether they can supply non‑neonic treated seed to Vermont growers.

Why it matters: Vermont is a small share of the U.S. seed market and has a cooler, shorter season that limits hybrid choices, speakers said. Margaret Lagos, a lobbyist with decades of experience in Vermont agriculture, said corn seed varieties suitable for Vermont are already limited and removing a…