Groups in Canada’s soybean seed trade will work with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency this year on a pilot project to broaden certified seed crop inspection in parts of southern Ontario.
The pilot, announced last week, will see people trained, evaluated and licensed by the CFIA conducting seed crop inspections on a “limited number” of certified soybean seed crops in the Chatham and London areas.
Only companies that currently provide authorized seed crop inspection services are being considered for the pilot project, CFIA said in a release.
The project, a joint effort also involving the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) and Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA), builds on the current system in place for hybrid corn and hybrid canola, CFIA said.
Other than the pilot project, there will be no changes related to seed crop inspection for the 2011 crop year, CFIA said.
The agency added it will “continue to retain overall responsibility for seed certification in Canada, including monitoring and audits of all seed crop inspection activities.”
The seed industry groups and the agency are “working together to explore options for the most efficient and effective seed certification in Canada,” CFIA said.
Once the pilot is complete, CFIA and the seed groups “will review the results of the pilot project and work together to determine next steps.”
