Seeds

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for the administration of the Seeds Act and Regulations, Parts I, III and IV  to help to ensure that seeds sold in, imported into and exported from Canada meet established standards for quality, including varietal purity and germination, and are labelled so that they are properly represented in the marketplace, and in the case of most agricultural crop varieties, are registered prior to sale in Canada.  The CFIA's Seed Section is the Registrar for both variety registration and registered seed establishment programs.

The key acts and regulations we enforce are:

• Seeds Act
  • Seeds Regulations
    Schedule I - Tables of Grade Standards (PDF)
• Weed Seeds Order, 2005

Information we provide for the general public includes:

• The Improved ABC's of Seed Importation into Canada
• Farmers Ability to Save Seed Produced from Protected Varieties

Information we provide for the seed industry includes:

•  Consultations
  • Proposal to Facilitate the Modernization of the Seed Regulatory Framework
  • Completed Consultations
     
• Imports
   
• Industry Advisories
   
• Inspection Procedures
  • Specific Work Instructions
  • Industrial Hemp
     
• Seed Testing / Grading
  • Candidate's Guide (Seed Grader)

Additional government and industry information can be found at:

• Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies
• Canadian Seed Growers Association
• Canadian Seed Institute
• Canadian Seed Trade Association
• Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada
• National Forum on Seed
• OECD - Schemes for the Varietal Certification of Seed Moving in International Trade
• United States Department of Agriculture - Germplasm Resources Information Network
• United States Department of Agriculture - Livestock and Seed Program