There will be no shortage of paperwork and regulations for farmers intending to grow flax this spring.

Producers can use their own seed . . . but it will have to be tested before it goes in the ground to make sure there are no traces of CDC Triffid.   The genetically modified (GM) variety was deregistered in 2001, but improved testing equipment in the European Union detected traces of Triffid last summer.  The EU, which is Canada's most important flax market, has a strict zero tolerance for GM material.  Sales ground to a halt last fall . . . putting the Canadian flax industry in a difficult position.   Flax containing traces of CDC Triffid can still be sold to other markets, including the United States and China.

There were a number of questions during the Thursday afternoon conference call sponsored by the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission.  A couple dealt with liability issues and who is responsible for the additional costs incurred by producers.   Sask Flax Director David Sefton says ''while everyone would like to find somebody or somewhere we could hang it, we have done everything within the regulatory system from Canada's perspective and persuing that (liability) I think would not be a good use of our time or anybody else's time."

Terry James is the Chairman of the Flax Council Board of Directors and a Vice President with Richardson International.   He says the only way to get back in the European market is with constant testing.   This includes the elevator and the export terminal in Thunder Bay to make sure it's negative for Triffid before going on a vessel.

The Past President of the Canadian Seed Growers Association says the zero GM tolerance level in the European Union needs to be redefined.   Ed Lester also says we should have been advised of the new testing being implemented.   "They come along and say that the speed limit has been posted a lot lower than what we've been driving.  They are the ones that are at fault.  It is not us.  We didn't have this problem last year.  They didn't have the testing equipment.  If they would have notified us and done it properly, we wouldn't have this problem," according to Lester.

James agrees that changes are needed to the zero tolerance policy.  "Give us a little bit of breathing room.  Give us a little bit of space.  When we are talking about one seed in 40,000, it is so minimal.   We can let you live with your zero, but define it in a way we can operate within." 

A farmer asked a question about the turn-around time for seed testing.  Representatives of the two Saskatoon labs were on the conference call.    Genserve Laboratories indicated three working days will be required.  Quantum Biosciences stated it needs seven working days.

Complete details of the revised stewardship program and testing procedures are available at http://www.flaxcouncil.ca

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written by tbro , March 19, 2010

What happens if countries start wanting canola with no GM seeds in it? We'd be screwed because it's everywhere now.

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