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About the CFIA > Reporting to Parliament > Annual Report > Annual Report 2002 - 2003  

3.4 PLANT PROTECTION

The CFIA's Contribution to Canadians

Canada's plant resource base is critical to the well-being of all Canadians. The two major economic activities that rely upon this base--the forestry industry and the agriculture and agri-food industry--are among Canada's top five industries. Millions of Canadians depend upon these industries for their livelihoods.

The CFIA plays an important role in protecting Canada's plant resource base. Through its surveillance and inspection activities at Canada's international border points, the CFIA guards against the entry and spread of pests and diseases from foreign countries. Within Canada, the Agency works to control or eradicate pests and diseases. The Agency assesses the environmental safety of plants and fertilizers with novel traits prior to authorizing them for introduction into the environment. It also conducts product assessments and inspections to verify compliance with safety and other product standards for seeds and fertilizer.

The export of Canadian plants and plant products is highly dependent on the safety and quality of Canadian plant resources.

Key Partners

The CFIA works with others to achieve the protection of the plant resource base. Its key partners include:

Other federal departments and agencies: The CFIA works with other federal departments and agencies to enhance the knowledge required for policy and standard setting, regulation and program development, regulatory market access agreements, scientific risk assessments, surveillance and intelligence gathering, inspection and scientific risk mitigation.

Provincial governments: At the provincial level, the CFIA works particularly closely with the ministries of agriculture, environment and forestry. Activities undertaken with these partners mirror those undertaken with federal departments and agencies.

Non-government stakeholders: The CFIA consults with a range of stakeholders, including industry and others, regarding our regulatory policies, programs and activities. We seek cooperation in research, and expert advice on inspection and certification systems. These partners include commodity associations, scientific institutes, brokers, importer and exporter associations, environmental organizations, scientists and specialists in universities and research organizations, and others.

Trading partners and international organizations: The CFIA works with a number of Canada's trading partners, as well as with international organizations, in an effort to maximize the effectiveness of Canada's legislation and regulations within the international system. The CFIA also promotes Canadian positions in the international arena. Key partners include the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Plant Protection Convention and its regional body, the North American Plant Protection Organization, the OECD, the International Seed Testing Association, the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, and the WTO and NAFTA committees on the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

Description of the Programs

The CFIA protects Canada's plant resource base by carrying out three distinct yet related programs: plant protection, seed and fertilizer. During 2002-03, the Plant Protection Program was delivered by 585 staff at a cost of approximately $74.5 million, representing 13.2 percent of total Agency spending. The Seed Program was delivered by 114 staff at a cost of approximately $11.8 million, representing 2.1 percent of total Agency spending. The Fertilizer Program was delivered by 19 staff at a cost of approximately $2.8 million, representing 0.5 percent of Agency spending.

The activities of the three programs delivered under the Plant Protection business line were based on the strategic outcomes listed in the Agency's 2002-03 RPP:

• Control the entry and domestic spread of regulated plant diseases and pests.

• Meet other governments' requirements and contribute to the development of jointly agreed-upon work plans and certification methods and procedures.

• Maintain effective plant input programs consistent with emerging international trends and new technologies, with high standards for safety, product and process.

Enforcement activities: In 2002-03, the CFIA conducted 91 investigations under the Plant Protection Act, the Seeds Act and the Fertilizers Act, leading to 161 charges against companies or individuals. These charges resulted in six prosecutions, nine convictions and a total of $41,000 in fines assessed by the courts. Convictions pertained to violations such as selling seed not registered in Canada and non-compliance with quarantine zones.

3.4.1 Control the entry and domestic spread of regulated plant diseases and pests

The CFIA's efforts to control the entry of regulated diseases and pests include activities such as the issuance of import permits and inspection of imported commodities. The issuance of import permits sets out the import conditions that allow the CFIA to target the level of pest risk associated with imported commodities prior to commodities being presented for entry into Canada. Inspection of imported commodities identifies non-compliance to prevent contaminated shipments from introducing new pests or diseases into Canada.

Import Permits

In 2002-03, the CFIA issued 6 123 import permits for plants and plant products, and carried out 27 759 import inspections to confirm compliance with federal acts and regulations. CFIA inspectors carried out 2 674 inspections of import shipments, which resulted in the disposal of 2 166 non-compliant shipments and the ordering of 508 supervised treatments such as fumigation.

Surveillance and Eradication

CFIA staff conduct domestic surveys to detect exotic pest introductions, to define the infestation boundaries of regulated pests in certain parts of Canada and to conduct eradication programs. Survey information is also used to validate Canada's import requirements and to allow the CFIA to certify exports.

Last year, surveys were conducted across Canada for insects, fungi, viruses and nematodes. The largest efforts focused on plum pox virus, the brown spruce longhorn beetle, the emerald ash borer, potato wart, potato mop top virus and swede midge.

In conducting these surveys, valuable support was provided by various CFIA partners. For example, the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada provided early identification of brown spruce longhorn beetle and emerald ash borer. Similarly, the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources assisted in the survey and the necessary tree removals resulting from the brown spruce longhorn beetle infestation. The P.E.I. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Forestry supported the surveys for potato wart, and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Service worked with the CFIA in jointly surveying for potato mop top virus.

Plum pox virus (PPV) is a serious disease of peach, nectarine, plum and apricot trees. It affects fruit quality, size and quantity, often reducing the yield significantly, rendering the fruit unmarketable and requiring that the infected trees be removed. After PPV was confirmed to be present near Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario in June 2000, and later confirmed in one case in Nova Scotia, the CFIA led an eradication program that included the removal of diseased trees and the establishment of quarantine zones. The aim of this three-year program, which began in 2001, was to contain and eradicate the disease while maintaining the stone fruit industry.

In support of these efforts, extensive survey work was carried out by the Agency in 2002-03. Samples were collected and tested in fruit growing areas of Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. No PPV was detected outside the established quarantine areas, indicating the CFIA's efforts to control the spread of the disease continue to be effective.

In spring 2000, the Canadian Forest Service identified the brown spruce longhorn beetle to be the causal agent of black, red, white and Norway spruce mortality in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax. This was the first known occurrence of this invasive forest pest in North America. In response to this threat, the CFIA led an extensive survey and eradication program beginning in 2000.

The CFIA continued its program to eradicate the brown spruce longhorn beetle in 2002-03. This is the third year that the Agency has been addressing this pest problem, and progress is evident. The reduction in the number of infested trees found within the quarantine area, and the fact that there have been only four isolated finds beyond the quarantine area, indicate that progress is being made toward the goal of the eradication of this invasive, introduced forest pest.

In July 2002, the emerald ash borer was found in Windsor, Ontario. The borer was first introduced into the United States and has killed millions of ash trees in southeastern Michigan. If allowed to spread, this pest could devastate trees in both the United States and Canada. Since the pest's discovery discovery in Windsor, the CFIA has worked with federal, provincial and municipal departments and agencies in a "Slow the Spread" program, with surveys to establish quarantine zones and to remove infested trees. Removed trees were chipped or burned. The program complements a similar program in the United States.

Potato wart, a soil-borne fungal disease, was originally confirmed in a potato field in Prince Edward Island in October 2000, causing the United States to impose an import ban on all P.E.I. potatoes. This ban was subsequently lifted following extensive survey work and the implementation of quarantine measures by the CFIA. A three-year agreement was reached in 2001 to permit the continued shipment of P.E.I. potatoes to the United States and to other provinces under specified conditions.

In 2002-03, potato wart was confirmed on two additional P.E.I. farms. Nevertheless, a revision of the three-year management plan by the CFIA and the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service provided P.E.I. potato growers with improved market flexibility.

In July, 2002, the USDA informed the CFIA that potato mop top virus (PMTV) had been found in potatoes from Maine. This coincided with the CFIA finding evidence of PMTV in potatoes imported from the United States. Surveys conducted in both Canada and the United States revealed that PMTV is present in both countries. As a result of the surveys, Canada and the United States have agreed to a joint policy for managing the risk of PMTV and other similar potato viruses known to occur in both countries. PMTV will no longer be considered a quarantine pest and will be regulated through seed certification programs.

Swede midge is an insect pest first identified in York County, Ontario, in 2000. Farmers in Ontario first started to see heavy losses (in the 85-percent range) in broccoli in 1996, but the cause was mistakenly attributed to nutrient deficiencies. Surveys conducted in 2002 and continuing in 2003 have identified swede midge in eight counties in Ontario. This pest can cause serious economic damage to cole crops such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. In 2002, the CFIA put phytosanitary measures in place to restrict domestic movement and importation of plants that could be affected by swede midge. The CFIA also negotiated with the United States to agree that trade in produce could continue because produce itself is not a pathway for spreading swede midge. In 2003, the CFIA implemented a certification program for greenhouses that produce seedlings for transplanting. This program outlines the requirements for export and domestic movement of host plants of swede midge from regulated areas.

In support of its ongoing regulatory activities, and to address the challenges and risks that were outlined in the CFIA's 2002-03 RPP, the CFIA also fulfilled the following commitments:

• Provided technical support for Environment Canada's development of an integrated action plan to enhance the federal government's efforts against invasive species.

• Continued to develop a smuggling interdiction program in cooperation with other agencies involved in border protection (e.g., Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and the United States).

• Utilized risk pathway analysis as a basis for program redesign. Examples include:

  • conducted risk analyses to provide additional certification options for hay moving from cereal leaf beetle (CLB) areas to CLB-free areas, in support of the Hay West campaign (see sidebar);

  • conducted risk analyses to provide additional certification options for potatoes, in support of a joint Canada-U.S. effort to harmonize potato certification for a number of potato pests causing internal tuber necrosis;

  • conducted risk pathway analysis and successfully demonstrated to the United States that fresh Brassica produce posed a negligible pest risk and that trade could continue from regulated areas.

• Assisted industry in the implementation of quality management systems for self-regulation, such as a kiln-dried, heat-treated Coniferous Lumber Export Certification Program for EU-bound lumber, the Karnal Bunt-Dwarf Bunt Certification Program for grains, and the Swede Midge Certification Program for crucifers.

• Undertook research projects to contribute to detection and identification of pests using new technologies such as molecular biology and pest survey methodology. For example, research was conducted on PPV transmission, strain characterization and detection techniques to allow for more rapid and accurate detection.

3.4.2 Meet other governments' requirements, and contribute to the development of jointly agreed-upon work plans and certification methods and procedures

Meeting other governments' science-based plant protection requirements

The CFIA certifies that Canada's seeds, plant and forestry products meet other countries' import requirements, including being free of quarantine pests that may be of concern to them. This assurance facilitates international trade and helps maintain the excellent international reputation of Canadian plants and plant products. An indicator of the CFIA's performance in this area is the ability of CFIA-certified products to meet the requirements of importing countries.

Phytosanitary certificates, which indicate that the import requirements of a foreign country have been met, facilitate the entry of plants and plant products into foreign countries. In 2002-03, the CFIA issued 62 515 phytosanitary certificates, compared with 67 742 in 2001-02, and 54 389 in 2000-01. The CFIA was notified 64 times that Canadian products did not meet requirements of an importing country. For example, Japan rejected non-compliant Canadian hay, and some Canadian exports failed to meet new EU requirements on wood packaging material. This low incidence of non-compliance with foreign country requirements is consistent with previous years and indicates that the CFIA continues to deliver a high standard of phytosanitary certification.

Contributing to the development of jointly agreed-upon operational methods and procedures

In 2002-03, the CFIA continued to participate in a number of international committees and remained involved in influencing international standard-setting and bilateral and multilateral agreements on operational methods and procedures. For example, the CFIA continues to be a strong partner of the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO), chairing a number of panels to set plant health standards. The Agency also continues to represent North America (Canada, the United States and Mexico) in international plant health standard-setting committees established by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). In 2002, the IPPC, which has a membership of 118 countries, adopted four new international standards and amended one. Notable among these standards are the IPPC Use of Integrated Measures in a Systems Approach for Pest Risk Management; Regulated Non-Quarantine Pests: Concept and Application; and Pest Reporting.

In support of its ongoing regulatory activities, and to address the challenges and risks that were outlined in the CFIA's 2002-03 RPP, the CFIA also fulfilled the following commitments:

• Promoted domestic industry's understanding of the IPPC standards.

• Established technical agreements and work plans with major trading partners in an effort to address technical barriers to trade. For example, last year the CFIA

• gained U.S. acceptance of seed analysis certificates and CFIA labels in place of phytosanitary certificates for seeds exported to the United States;

• negotiated a revised management plan for potato wart that allowed the continued movement of P.E.I. potatoes into the United States;

• implemented a certification program for swede midge that minimized the negative impact on trade with the United States.

3.4.3 Maintain effective plant input programs consistent with emerging international trends and new technologies, with high standards for safety, product and process

The CFIA and the seed industry are responsible for seed quality management systems in Canada. Under the Seeds Act, the CFIA regulates seed, and registers seed varieties and seed establishments. The CFIA operates two seed laboratories that provide scientific advice and test for seed germination, viability, mechanical and varietal purity, and seed-borne diseases.

CFIA staff inspect imported seed and conduct marketplace surveillance to determine if seed sold in Canada meets established standards. As well, the CFIA also certifies that seed exports meet importing countries' standards.

Seed conditioning; sampling; testing for purity, germination and disease; and grading and labelling are performed by the industry under the supervision of the CFIA and the Canadian Seed Institute (CSI). The Agency and CSI oversee a seed laboratory accreditation program that includes 46 private labs and about 100 analysts who provide industry seed-testing services.

Testing: In 2002-03, CFIA seed laboratories conducted 11 499 tests on 10 867 samples, primarily for mechanical and varietal purity, germination and disease. This analytical service is integral to the Agency's seed inspection and enforcement program and supports seed exports through issuing international seed lot certificates.

Registrations: The CFIA's Variety Registration Office (VRO) registers varieties of most agricultural crops in Canada. Variety registration is critical to the function of the seed certification system. The VRO maintains a Web site that provides the seed industry and the agri-food sector with up-to-date information on the registration status of plant varieties. During the past year, the VRO registered 196 varieties of agricultural crops, including registration of the first hybrid alfalfa in Canada.

Inspections: CFIA inspectors conducted marketplace surveillance and targeted establishments with poor compliance records and those that had been the subject of complaints. In 2002, results indicated that 92 percent of pedigreed seed, 86 percent of non-pedigreed seed and 94 percent of imported seed met standards. These compliance rates are consistent with those of previous years.

Certifications: CFIA staff inspect seed crops for the Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA). Inspection reports are submitted to the CSGA, which in turn issues crop certificates indicating compliance with varietal purity standards and pedigreed seed crop inspection procedures. Last year, more than 1300 varieties of pedigreed seed were grown by about 3800 pedigreed seed growers. Agency inspectors and CFIA-accredited private crop inspectors conducted inspections on about 500 000 hectares, and 98 percent met CSGA standards, thus confirming the high quality of Canadian pedigreed seed.

Regulating the Environmental Safety of Plants with Novel Traits

The CFIA regulates the environmental safety of plants with novel traits (PNTs). PNTs are produced by conventional breeding, or through mutagenesis or techniques of biotechnology. Safety assessments are required for all PNTs imported into Canada or released into the environment.

PNTs must undergo environmental evaluations prior to testing in confined research field trials and unconfined environmental release. They must also undergo evaluation prior to being imported into Canada. The CFIA oversees these environmental evaluations. Field trials are conducted under conditions calculated to mitigate plants' potential environmental impact and minimize gene flow.

Occasionally, developers of PNTs may not fully comply with the terms and conditions of a field trial. When this occurs, the Agency works with the developer to bring the trial into compliance. All problems identified during the 2002-03 fiscal year were corrected and did not pose any environmental or safety concerns (see below). All 2002-03 field trials were planned to be inspected at least once during the growing season and again at the end of the trial. Compared with the previous year, more field trials received additional post-harvest inspections.

The CFIA also conducts environmental safety assessments of PNTs submitted for environmental release. PNTs must be approved before they can be grown and commercialized in Canada. During 2002-03, two new submissions were received and four existing submissions were approved. PNTs approved for release totalled 39. Additional information about these PNTs is available on the CFIA's Web site at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/bio/pbobbve.shtml

Protecting the Work of Plant Breeders

The CFIA protects the work of plant breeders under the authority of the Plant Breeders' Rights Act. After developing a new variety, a plant breeder applies to the CFIA for the right to control the multiplication and sale of the reproductive material of the new variety. To be granted that right, the applicant must demonstrate to the CFIA that the variety under consideration is new, distinct, uniform and stable (see table below). Examination requirements must be met before final rights are granted. This process can take several years to complete depending on the plant species.

In support of its ongoing regulatory activities, and to address the challenges and risks that were outlined in the CFIA's 2002-03 RPP, the CFIA also fulfilled the following commitments:

• Strengthened Canada's seed certification system through enhancements made to the seed inspector training and certification program for seed sampling, which leads to continued recognition for Canadian pedigreed seed in international markets.

• Released a five-year summary report (1996-2001) on seed purity and germination testing for seed sellers and buyers.

• Initiated an Authorized Exporter program pilot project, developed in cooperation with the Canadian Seed Institute (CSI), thereby enhancing the international reputation of Canada's major seed exporters.

• Reached agreement with the Canadian seed industry on a new cooperative approach to assessment of industry needs, laying the groundwork for regulatory reform.

• Initiated research projects to assist in the development of regulatory policy. Examples of these projects include research on gene flow from PNTs to wild relatives, effects of PNTs on non-target insects, insect-resistance management, herbicide tolerance management and pollen flow modelling.

• Worked with other federal departments to address the implications of Canada's potential ratification of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

• Worked within the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) panel to develop elements of its standard on the importation and release of transgenic plants in NAPPO countries.

Regulating Canada's Fertilizer Industry

Canada's fertilizer and supplement industry generates products worth more than $5.5 billion each year. Products sold in or imported into Canada are regulated by the Agency under the Fertilizers Act. The CFIA monitors these products to determine their compliance with standards. Monitoring confirms product efficacy, health and environmental safety, and label accuracy. Regulated fertilizer and supplement products include bulk blended fertilizer, composts and processed sewage, and synthetic chemical products.

Last year, the CFIA reviewed analyses for fertilizer products containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium under the Canadian Fertilizer Quality Assurance Program (CFQAP). This voluntary industry-government program requires fertilizer blenders to take samples for laboratory analysis and submit results to the CFIA. The Agency compiles results and publishes blend plant ratings annually. In 2002-03, the compliance rate dropped slightly from previous years to 79 percent; however, it remained consistent with the five-year average of 82 percent. The fertilizer industry continues to strive to improve this overall compliance rate. The CFIA provides information at industry's request to assist in improving quality control practices. The CFQAP enables the Agency to direct resources to quality control audits, review of health and safety issues, and investigation of complaints.

In addition to samples monitored under the CFQAP, the CFIA monitored the production of bulk blend fertilizers, produced at approximately 1220 establishments across Canada. In these establishments, CFIA inspectors took 887 samples to verify fertilizer guarantees for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The compliance rate was 83 percent, representing a slight increase in compliance from last year's rate of 80 percent. When analysis of a sample indicates that a product does not meet the standards, the inspector follows up with the establishment that produced the blend. This follow-up may be in the form of an on-site visit or correspondence with the establishment manager. The inspector often works with the establishment manager to determine why the product was non-compliant.

CFIA inspectors also took 189 samples of legume inoculants (i.e., nitrogen-fixing bacteria) and pre-inoculated seed products to determine if they meet minimum concentration requirements. The compliance rates were 97.4 percent for inoculants and 86.1 percent for seed products. Sampling was targeted at new products and products with a high risk of not meeting quality standards. If an inoculant product is non-compliant, the manufacturer and retailer are informed and the product may be detained or sent for disposal.

The CFIA conducts label guarantee verification of combined fertilizer and pesticide products. Inspectors took 38 samples and seven (18.4 percent) were found to be non-compliant. Such products are generally detained and, unless brought into compliance, are sent for disposal. Although the sample size was small, the high level of non-compliance indicates that this is an area that requires continued Agency focus. Sampling and testing will increase next year.

CFIA inspectors sampled 78 micronutrient fertilizers in 2002-03 to determine if the products met label guarantees. In total, 23 percent of these products had concentrations lower than stated, indicating a quality control problem for the industry. Future inspections will focus on new products and those with a history of non-compliance.

Testing for microbial contaminants: The CFIA tests products such as processed sewage sludge and compost for microbial contaminants such as Salmonella and faecal coliform. This is due to the potential carry-over of micro-organisms from waste materials including sewage, manure and/or food wastes.

From April 1, 2002, to March 31, 2003, CFIA inspectors took 40 samples for Salmonella testing and 13 samples for faecal coliform testing. Non-compliant products are usually detained and, unless they are brought into compliance by re-processing, they are disposed of by an appropriate method. Imported products found to be non-compliant are returned to the manufacturer. The following table summarizes the results of the CFIA's pathogen-testing program.

The CFIA is satisfied with the year-over-year improvement in industry compliance demonstrated in this area.

In support of its ongoing regulatory activities, and to address the challenges and risks that were outlined in the CFIA's 2002-03 RPP, the CFIA also fulfilled the following commitments:

• Initiated a laboratory research project for development of regulatory policy for genetically modified micro-organisms (GMMOs) that could be used as supplements. Contracted researchers are studying composting as a method of disposal of GMMOs.

• Initiated a study to review sampling methodology for pathogen testing of compost, which will be used to enhance regulatory policy.

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