Good afternoon.
I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food for allowing Imperial Seed the opportunity to address Bill C-474, which would require that an analysis of potential harm to export markets be conducted before the sale of any new genetically engineered seed is permitted.
Imperial Seed is a forage and turf seed company whose office is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is an accredited seed processing facility with more than 50 years of processing experience. Our success and growth is a history of quality and integrity.
At Imperial Seed, we contract with forage and seed companies from around the world, strongly focused on Europe and the Americas. The production contracts we obtain from companies are contracted with producers across western Canada. The seed is then harvested and brought into Winnipeg for processing, packaging, and testing, and then shipped to the contracting company.
Most of our species are perennial plants, and the contracts cover three to five years of production. Our main species of production are alfalfa, perennial ryegrass, timothy, bird's-foot trefoil, and clovers.