February 22, 2024

The CFIA’s SRM Winter 2024 Consultation Survey

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) Seed Regulatory Modernization (SRM) Winter 2024 consultation survey is now open for comments until May 1, 2024.

BEFORE YOU RESPOND TO THE SURVEY

We will be sharing our survey responses and rationales with you very shortly. We want to explain CSGA’s vision for a next-generation seed system as we did in February 2023. We ask that you wait for this information before submitting your survey responses.

We need to keep working together to ensure that the seed sector and Canadian agriculture continue to thrive and prosper.

Let’s not miss this chance to make a real difference!

Your Seat is Waiting - Join the Regulatory Services Committee

In keeping with CSGA’s commitment to multi-stakeholder participation and transparency, we are encouraging stakeholders to raise their hands and participate in the Regulatory Services Committee (RSC). We want to ensure that those who wish to participate can, while encouraging stakeholder representation and geographic and crop kind expertise to shape and guide the seed crop standards for our sector.

We are seeking expressions of interest for external stakeholder positions on the RSC. Your participation in this committee will contribute to the development and maintenance of robust regulatory frameworks and provide you with a unique opportunity to shape the future of our sector.

If you are passionate about seed and positively impacting our sector, we invite you to submit your expression of interest by March 1, 2024.

To learn more or to express your interest, please click here.

Revised Circular 6 Available Online

As Canada’s national seed crop certification authority, CSGA continues to improve the Canadian Regulations and Procedures for Pedigreed Seed Crop Production (Circular 6) to ensure that standards are updated, internationally harmonized, and incorporate new technology.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our public consultation on proposed revisions to the certification requirements in Section 6, Forage and Turf Grasses and in Section 7, Forage Legumes, regarding mechanical purity.

Certification requirements and standard changes have been made to Circular 6 effective for the 2024 growing season. The revisions mainly relate to the mechanical purity of forage and turf species. Going forward, there is only an isolation requirement or a maximum impurity standard for other kinds where the other crop kind may cross-pollinate with the inspected crop or when seeds of the other crop kind are considered too difficult to distinguish from seeds of the inspected crop. CSGA has moved away from requiring isolation or having a maximum impurity standard where seeds of the other crop kind are only considered difficult to separate from seeds of the inspected crop.

A summary of feedback received can be found in our “What We Heard Report.” For a complete list of changes, please read the Notice of Changes.

To ensure crops are produced according to requirements, growers and assignees must consult the appropriate sections of Circular 6. Please download the latest version available on CSGA’s website.

Should you have questions on these revisions, please get in touch with Gail Harris, Standards Manager or call (613) 236-0497 ext. 227.

Third Parties – Please Renew Your Information Forms

A reminder that the Third Party Account Information and Consent form (available on the Apply Now tab in SeedCert) must be submitted to CSGA before March 1.

The Third Party Account Information and Consent form must be completed annually for each account available as an assignee, payer or authorized third party (toller) on the Application for CSGA Seed Crop Certification and the CSGA Membership Application/Renewal.

For crop certificate assignees, the form collects expressed consent to allow CSGA to share information on assigned production and contact information in the provincial and national seed guides. 

Make sure you select only those activities for which that specific account will be responsible in the current year. This will ensure the Third Party remains on the application drop-down lists as an assignee, authorized third party and/or payer.

Anyone working with seed growers as an assignee or toller should have received a communication from CSGA on February 7 to renew their information forms. If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact our team via email or at 613-236-0497 x 8803.

CSGA In Action

CSGA is always on the move! The team has been to Branch meetings in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Brandon, and Lévis , providing a CSGA update and meeting with members and stakeholders. We’ll be at the Ontario and Maritimes AGM soon, too!

We continue participating in the Seed Regulatory Modernization (SRM) Working Group and Task Team meetings, the latest being ‘Information (Records and Labelling)’, to share our expertise and vision for a next-generation seed system.

Doug Miller attended the OECD Seeds Schemes technical working group meeting in Livingstone, Zambia. He also met with Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and CFIA President Paul MacKinnon, to discuss CSGA’s vision for a next-gen seed system.

Gail Harris attended the Future of Food Conference on Canada’s Ag Day in Ottawa with over 750 people in attendance.

Brianna Chouinard presented “Seed Crop Certification” at the Seeds Canada Seed School in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Would you like to hear CSGA at your next meeting? Want to schedule a Seed Regulatory Modernization presentation for your group? Please email us.

It’s Coming! Application Deadline to Start Plot Probation Production for Your Plot Grower Accreditation

Plot production might be an excellent opportunity for your business if you’ve been a long-time seed grower. Plot production facilitates the first stage of seed multiplication for most non-hybrid annual crops. Plant breeders work with CSGA-accredited Plot Growers to multiply Breeder seed for a new variety, which in turn gets further multiplied to become Foundation, Registered and/or Certified seed.

For many seed growers, being a Plot Grower brings financial and competitive benefits to their farm by providing them the first access to new varieties.

Succession Planning for Accredited Plot Growers

CSGA’s Plot Grower Accreditation is earned by and allocated to one person – it can’t be shared with other family members or farm employees. We encourage multiple growers on a seed farm to obtain the accreditation to ensure the farm is well looked after.

Succession plans are required when an Accredited Plot Grower can no longer produce Select plots. With access to only one accredited Plot Grower, the business risks losing access to self-produced Select status seed if that grower can no longer produce Select Plots.

An effective plot production succession plan ensures that a second or third seed grower in the business has also been accredited by CSGA as a Plot Grower. In the event of a death, retirement or partnership separation, a succession plan ensures the business can continue to produce its own Select Plots. If a seed grower family business or partnership is suddenly left without their accredited Plot Grower, another family member or partner must then complete the Probation Plot process to become a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower.

Applying to Commence Probation Plot Production
Now is the right time to think about starting in plot production. To obtain the accreditation, an individual grower must complete a plot production probation. For more details on application requirements, please visit our Plot Production webpage. Remember that the Application to Commence Probation Plot Production (Form 154) must be submitted to the CSGA before March 31 for spring-seeded crops and July 31 for fall-seeded crops.

CSGA Learn – Helping You Become an Accredited Plot Grower

CSGA Learn’s three-course Probation Plot Grower program was developed explicitly for you. It will increase your knowledge of plot production requirements, roguing, the purpose of Select and Foundation plots, and the higher multiplication risks associated with varietal impurities.

With explanations of Circular 6 production requirements for pedigreed seed plots, our program gives you as much information as possible to help you produce high-quality seed. Combining this voluntary program with in-field experience will help you become a CSGA-Accredited Plot Grower.

Reduce Your Time to Accreditation!

By completing the CSGA Learn Probation Plot Grower program, the accreditation requirement to have grown pedigreed seed crops in at least three of the previous five years is reduced to two of the previous four years.

The requirement to complete three successful years of probation plot production is reduced to two years, helping you get on your way to plot production faster!

CSGA Learn – It’s Time to Invest in Yourself!
Enroll Today!

Mark Your Calendars! CSGA’s 2024 Virtual AGM

The 2024 Annual General Meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 from 1-3 pm ET. Stay tuned for more details.

“Seeding Success”: Farm Management Canada’s Farm Business Practices Assessment Workshop

Farm Management Canada has launched the Seeding Success: Farm Business Practices Assessment Workshop to help producers improve their business practices by combining self-assessment and action plan development with access to support resources to achieve results: Assess, Act, Achieve!

These in-person one-day workshops are free and open to all Canadian producers – new and established. Farm families and management teams are encouraged to attend the workshop together. Workshops start February 20, run until March 28, and will be offered in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

More information is available here.