The elimination of KVD Aug. 1 could also trigger the removal of restrictions on imports of unregistered wheat seed into Western Canada.
As part of the process of eliminating kernel visual distinguishability from the grain system, the government proposes to repeal Section 42 of the Seeds Regulations, which consists of three parts, one dealing directly with KVD.
However, another part requires that any wheat seed imported into Western Canada be pedigreed seed of a registered variety.
The government is proposing to eliminate the entire section, which some grain industry groups say would be a big mistake.
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It means producers would be free to plant and grow unregistered varieties, although they couldn’t sell them as seed. Any grain produced would have to be sold as feed wheat.
The Western Grain Elevator Association and the Canadian Wheat Board say that poses a serious threat to Canada’s grain quality control system.
“It could have disastrous consequences, depending on how many of these varieties get mixed up into the milling grades,” said Lawrence Klusa, the wheat board’s quality control manager.
He said he doesn’t know how the federal government would monitor the situation to prevent leakage.
“Canadian wheat is seen as the highest quality spring milling wheat in the world, so we don’t want anything done to damage Canada’s reputation in that regard,” he said.
Wade Sobkowich of the elevator association said allowing the unfettered import of unregistered wheat seed into Canada presents a big problem.
“That grain is bound to eventually get into the export system and contaminate shipments to export customers,” he said.
The elevator association, the wheat board and other groups have been urging federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz not to repeal Section 42.
They want the government to remove just the part that deals with KVD and leave the other two parts in place.
“That’s the logical way to deal with this,” Sobkowich said.
The third part of Section 42 allows the import of unregistered wheat seed for the purpose of plant breeding or research.
A spokesperson for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which administers the Seeds Regulations, said the government is still reviewing submissions on the issue and he couldn’t say when a decision will be made.
Michael Scheffel, national manager of CFIA’s seed section, said repealing the entire section has been recommended because it would accomplish a number of policy goals at the same time:
- Eliminate KVD from the Seeds Regulations.
- Be consistent with Canada’s international trade obligations to remove KVD requirements for imported wheat seed that has already been removed for domestic wheat seed.
- Ensure that wheat seed in Western Canada is treated the same as all other crop seed in Canada.
- Assist ethanol and livestock groups to gain access to wheat varieties that meet their needs “sooner rather than later.”
At the same time, Scheffel acknowledged it could cause problems for maintaining quality assurance for wheat.
“Taking that course of action does put the grain quality assurance system at somewhat greater risk for deliveries of unregistered wheat, either intentionally or accidentally, into the wrong class, resulting in problems.”
One school of thought in the industry is that the government and CFIA didn’t think through the potential consequences of repealing Section 42 in its entirety and are now looking for a graceful way to reverse themselves.
