A new phytosanitary issue with India is delaying the resolution of an old one that has been lingering since 2004, says Pulse Canada.
In October, India began requesting additional declarations be made on phytosanitary certificates that shipments are free of certain weeds and of soil, which could harbour pests.
The new requirements were originally to be implemented on Dec. 31, presenting a challenge because Canadian pulse crops are harvested close to the ground.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency was able to provide the requested declarations on weed seeds because the weeds on India’s list are not found in Western Canada.
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“We’ve been pushing back on this soil issue because we don’t want to be in a situation where we’re certifying shipments to be 100 percent free from soil because we know we can’t do that,” said Carl Potts, director of market development with Pulse Canada.
The CFIA has submitted a proposal for review by India’s plant protection authorities. Potts said India needs to understand that inspection for soil is an integral part of the CFIA’s export certification procedures but it is impossible to guarantee shipments are 100 percent free of soil.
India has postponed its declaration deadline to March 31, 2011. India’s ministry of agriculture has assured the CFIA that no pulse shipments will be rejected prior to that date for failing to contain a soil declaration.
Potts thinks a resolution could be reached in the next couple of weeks.
“On this one, I get the sense that we may be fairly close to having an agreement that works for both sides,” he said.
Pulse Canada was also hoping the longstanding stem and bulb nematode trade irritant would be resolved by the end of the year but that no longer appears to be the case.
In July 2010, the CFIA and India’s ministry of agriculture signed a draft agreement removing the requirement for Canadian pulse exporters to certify their shipments are free of the unwanted pests, relying instead on fumigation of the shipments upon arrival in India.
The agreement has been formally approved by the Canadian government and is awaiting approval by India.
Potts said they were hoping for final approval before the end of December but it appears that India needs more time.
Pulse Canada is encouraging the Canadian government to keep pushing for implementation of the agreement so it doesn’t fall off India’s to-do list.
