The Canadian flax industry is reversing an earlier decision requiring Canadian flax growers to use certified seed for all flax crops planted this spring.
The reversal was announced by the Flax Council of Canada after it learned that that breeder seed samples from three more flax varieties – CDC Bethune, CDC Sorel and CDC Sanctuary – have tested positive for CDC Triffid at extremely low levels.
Barry Hall, president of the Flax Council of Canada, said breeder seed samples from the three varieties tested positive at levels well below 0.01 percent.
Despite the extremely low levels of contamination, the industry decided that reversing the certified seed requirement was the industry’s best course of action, he added.
“This was not a decision that was arrived at lightly,” Hall said.
“It was discussed back and forth and thought through … very thoroughly. At the end of the day … reluctantly, the trade has agreed that this is the best step forward.”
Reversing the requirement for certified seed represents a significant cost saving for Canada’s commercial flax growers.
Acquiring enough certified seed to pant Canada’s entire flax crop would cost producers anywhere from $10 to $20 million, depending on the size of this year’s crop and the price of certified seed.
The size of this year’s flax crop is still unknown and acreage estimates vary widely but industry leaders say a crop of a million acres is realistic.
In the 2008-09 crop year, Canadian growers seeded nearly two million acres of flax.
In a normal production year, about 75 percent of the country’s flax acres are planted with farm-saved seed, said Hall.
The flax industry is still recommending that farmers use certified seed as a means of restoring confidence among European flax buyers, Hall added.
However, the use of farm-saved seed will be permitted as long as the seed has been sampled and tested using the same protocols that are applied to certified seed growers.
