Evidence of meeting #8 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was crops.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:10 p.m.
Vice-President of Industry Relations, BIOTECanada
I'll let you finish, and then I have a comment to make.
5:10 p.m.
First Vice-President, Canadian Seed Trade Association
The rationale for kernel visual distinguishability was to facilitate grain segregation and thus make it easy to recognize a Canadian western red spring versus a CPS type, for example, at the elevator. It was really driven by the desire to have something very easy to segregate in a short period of time.
What we're looking at going forward are a number of options, including affidavit-type systems. On behalf of the seed industry, we think we have a perfect system in Canada to help facilitate segregation. It is the use of our certified seed system. Our certified seed system is really the envy of most other jurisdictions in the world, which don't have such a well-integrated public-private certification system for seed. There's that, and we're also getting to the point of having new technology coming that will help to identify varieties in a relatively short period of time upon delivery.
5:10 p.m.
Vice-President of Industry Relations, BIOTECanada
I was just going to mention that a small biotechnology company in London, Ontario, called NeoVentures BioTechnology Inc. is using advanced genetic fingerprinting techniques to help solve this problem as well. I think that's probably the advanced technology Mr. Reid was talking about.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB
From your knowledge, are there any organizations, groups, or aspects of government that have been holding this back or challenging this all these years?
5:10 p.m.
First Vice-President, Canadian Seed Trade Association
I think there has just been a general reluctance to change, but over time I think most organizations are recognizing that the cost is just too great, particularly when we can now see the benefit of high-yielding ethanol- and feed-type wheats. I would say there has been a general reluctance from the grain side of the seed industry, but I think they are gradually moving past that.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Time has expired, Mr. Storseth. I'm so sorry. I know you have so many questions to ask, but there's no time left.
Mr. St. Amand, do you have any questions?
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
I said we had other business we wanted to move on to.
Before you leave the table, though, we don't expect an answer back today as you respond to the committee on these specific issues. Mr. Reid, you talked about the 155% tax credit to help offset the costs of producers having certified seed. If you can put that into a more detailed document for the committee to consider, we'd appreciate it, and also to back up how—you were talking about KVD—using more certified seed would help with this whole producer affidavit issue and identity preserve to ensure that the varieties are what they are claimed to be.
All of you talked about using some of the new science technologies to produce new varieties and said that these varieties should be marketed. Part of the non-BRM under Growing Forward is this whole market development initiative. Mr. Bacon, you mentioned the bilateral trade agreements, but you also suggested that there might be other programs we should be using or should be producing to help with the marketing of these new commodities, and specifically to market them as a Cadillac rather than a Chevette. If you can go down that path in providing the information to the committee, it would be greatly appreciated.
With that, I think we shall suspend. I'd ask that all people who aren't tied to a member of the committee exit the room so that we can go in camera and consider our next order of business.
[Proceedings continue in camera]
