Pulse Canada thinks a permanent solution to a recent non-tariff trade barrier with the European Union may come sooner than originally anticipated.
In Apr il, the pulse industry announced that the EU had begun rejecting shipments of lentils containing trace levels of glyphosate residue, including a boatload containing Canadian organic lentils.
Europe’s new enforcement policy immediately placed a $110 million lentil market in jeopardy. The EU typically imports 100,000 tonnes of Canadian lentils annually.
The EU’s maximum residue limit for glyphosate in lentils is 0.1 parts per million, which is extremely low considering the limit for peas is 10 ppm.
Read Also
European wheat production makes big recovery
EU crop prospects are vastly improved, which could mean fewer canola and durum imports from Canada.
Monsanto Canada spokesperson Trish Jordan said the company didn’t include lentils when it applied for residue limits for Roundup 20 years ago because lentils weren’t exported to Europe. As a result, the product received the default 0.1 ppm limit.
At the request of Pulse Canada, Monsanto has asked the European Commission for an amendment that will increase the lentil residue limit to the same level as peas. The submission was made earlier this month.
“Even though we’re not the only glyphosate supplier, we’re the one that’s stepping up and helping so that farmers aren’t impacted,” said Jordan.
“They came to us for help and so we’re helping them.”
Carl Potts, director of market development with Pulse Canada, said discussions with EU regulators left him optimistic that the submission can move through the system faster than the one-year timeline the industry was originally given.
There are two opportunities for the submission to be approved by an EU standing committee: June and October.
“If it can make it through in time for a June meeting, then there’s a possibility (the new maximum residue limit) will be implemented later in 2011,” Potts said.
“We are doing everything possible to try and move that through the process as quickly as we can.”
Jordan said there’s a chance the EU will reject the amendment request, which is why Monsanto will conduct a glyphosate residue field trial in 2011.
The company will donate the data and analysis to Pulse Canada if the EU says it needs a lentil-specific submission.
Potts said the industry’s fallback plan is likely a declaration and testing regime that would allow exporters to help ensureshipments to Europe are free of glyphosate residue.
