(Commodity News Service Canada) — Canaryseed producers on the Prairies are hopeful their product can resume being shipped to a destination that used to be one of the largest importers.
Mexico is currently not accepting any Canadian canaryseed, due to fears of weed seed — in particular, buckwheat — in the product.
“They won’t take anything, as they still have a zero tolerance policy despite the bargaining going back and forth,” said Kevin Hursh, executive director of the Canaryseed Development of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
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Carl Potts of the Canadian Special Crops Association in Winnipeg, said right now the association would be happy for Mexico to allow product, even if there were restrictions.
“Where we’re at right now is having basically the industry request we implement another interim policy that would allow shipping to continue, would allow for re-cleaning in Mexico, similar to the policy that was in place during August and September this year,” Potts said.
Potts said those in the market on both sides of the border are hopeful the conundrum can be rectified sooner rather than later.
“Importers are needing the product, exporters are needing the shipment, and farmers are needing to move product that they harvested this fall,” he said.
Potts said a new proposal is expected to go to Mexico in the next day or so, and it’s expected that an interim deal could be in place in the very near future.
“I think in terms of an interim policy, we are hoping we could have an ‘OK’ on that sometime this week, which would allow producers to start moving some product again,” he said.
“Our goal is to have that interim policy in place before the Christmas holidays.”
