Evidence of meeting #33 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was product.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
You're actually over time already, Larry. Thank you.
Mr. Steckle or Dr. Bennett, do you have anything to add at this point?
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Steckle Liberal Huron—Bruce, ON
I wasn't here for the earlier comments perhaps on the own use, but I see there is some concern that you have with the containers. Is this because the product has to be used within that particular crop year and you want those containers disposed of in that particular 365-day period, or is it that you can't hold this over for another year? What's the difference between that container and a container you would find used for other products that are not under the own use category?
12:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
Again, the regulations for the own use import program are clear, in that the permits are for products imported and used in one growing season, one year, or whatever it is. If the label allowed for “after a killing frost”, we would allow it after a killing frost. Farmers are not to import quantity for two growing seasons.
We've recognized that nobody can be perfect in terms of estimating amounts, and some farmers may have imported excess. We won't raise any issues about a small amount of excess. Again, part of our role in permit approval—and I'm not saying it's a role we like—is to make sure the farmers are importing an amount of product that matches their use, so that they're not importing and then going to share with their neighbours or something like that. It's for own use. That's clearly part of the program.
The concern is with empty containers, not with containers that farmers have some excess product in and are keeping on their farm.
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Steckle Liberal Huron—Bruce, ON
Why the greater concern for those containers than for the containers of other products? Or do you share equally the concern for others? Why is this an issue?
12:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
The information we have now on container stewardship in Canada is that the voluntary recycling program, which is funded partly by industry and partly by the provinces, has a 70% return rate. In the early fall, at the time of our FPT meeting, which was in early October, at that point the collection rate for own use was under 15%.
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Steckle Liberal Huron—Bruce, ON
I see where you're going, but I think you have equally a concern for all containers being returned; there are just fewer of the own use ones. That may indicate there's more product left in those containers, and we're not able to return them because there's still product there. Is that the case?
What are the penalties if someone is actually found to be in violation of bringing in more product? There could be situations where, if frost had occurred earlier than was anticipated and someone were caught with product in their storage, there would be a reasonable explanation. Is there a penalty section here that would apply? How would you deal with someone who's in violation of the general principles?
12:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
As I've said, in our approving and import permit, we have done a review that says we have reason to believe the amount imported is actually what the farmer is going to use this growing season, that there is a match between volume and acreage to be treated. But even last year we recognized that nobody is perfect at estimating and that weather conditions can vary. Producers may, with all of the best intent, have imported product and had some left over. We have said we're not going to intervene there.
If there were farmers who did have intent, I don't know of it now; I haven't heard of anything like that, as shared with us. Our inspectors have done some field work; the provincial people have done some work. It's with empty containers. The stewardship program funded by industry isn't looking to accept products that have come in and that Canadian farmers haven't bought from Canadian industry.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Steckle Liberal Huron—Bruce, ON
I was just asked by my colleague whether you have an advisory board that would give you advice. Do you have people who actually go out into the field and do field inspections, just randomly?
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
12:20 p.m.
Executive Director, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
Yes. There is the Pest Management Advisory Council, which is multi-stakeholder. It includes registrants, it includes users, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture has a seat on it, the Canadian Horticulture Council has a seat on it, there are now three or four representatives of different health associations and three of environmental non-governmental organizations, and our provincial colleagues have a seat at the table. So do a number of academics.
They provide advice and input to us. The issue of the own use import and the disposal of containers has been raised by the task force. The task force has the registrant represented, it has CropLife, and it has a number of grower groups. We're on it and some provincial reps are on it. The health and the environmental people just kept a watching brief; they didn't play an active role.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Paul Steckle
I have been taken away from my position of asking questions. My time has expired according to the clock.
12:20 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Paul Steckle
So I can either ask for unanimous consent for me to continue or I can exercise my duties in my role as chairman.
Mr. Roy, do you have any further questions?
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
I have only one question. You mentioned your advisory council. I would like to know if the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is part of it.
12:20 p.m.
Executive Director, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
No, not at the moment.
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Is your agency linked to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency?
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Let me give you a very concrete example, even though I know that it does not concern your role.
After the Chernobyl accident, we imported rather significant quantities of strawberry, raspberry and small-fruit jam from East Bloc countries. This made no sense whatsoever and was completely illogical.
At the time, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency replied that it was impossible for them to detect anything in what we imported, even chemical residue.
I would like to know what your relationship is with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Do you recommend it in this regard? I would like to know how the two agencies are linked.
12:20 p.m.
Executive Director, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
We certainly have a strong link because we have to work together in several areas. As a result, every year, the agency provides us with information about its compliance program, and we provide them with residue-detection methods of analysis.
When they detect situations of concern, they come to us for an assessment of a problem. So we have fairly regular interaction on an annual basis about their residue-testing and compliance program.
Indeed, we have a number of memoranda of understanding with the CFIA, including one at the inspection level, because some of our compliance and inspection is actually delivered by their people, not PMRA people.
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Are these residue tests conducted only on products we produce or are they also applied to products we import?
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Tell us what proportion of products you have refused to import, products that contained residues. We know that at the moment, countries such as China, among others, are becoming more interested in growing high-end products. However, these products are grown under totally appalling conditions. If we grew such products, we would never market them here.
Have you ever refused to import products that contained residues? We are told that it is practically impossible to detect.
12:20 p.m.
Executive Director, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
I don’t have these figures at the moment.
We have year-to-year data from the CFIA. We provide input to them when they're establishing their compliance program, and they always report back to us. Indeed, a lot of that information is publicly available. They tell us of specific issues or more general, broad issues, and we work with them to follow up to address them.
We can provide that to you. It is not our responsibility to monitor products coming into Canada. We set the maximum residue limits, and it is CFIA's responsibility. They have a sampling program that looks at both domestic and imported products.
