Reopening the Mexican market for Canadian canaryseed is taking a lot longer than most observers expected. The problem is Mexico’s list of quarantine weed seeds which includes wild buckwheat and stinkweed. Canada and Mexico have been unable to come to terms on how to minimize these weed seeds in canaryseed shipments. Mexico is our largest customer for canaryseed and shipments have been disrupted since late June. The Board of the Canadian Special Crops Association has now declared Force Majeure on canaryseed exports destined for Mexico. This trade rule clause basically says that unusual events have precluded the execution of contracts. The Canadian Special Crops Association says it has worked with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, canaryseed exporters, Mexican importers and the Canadian government in an attempt to resolve the issue. The backlog of canaryseed shipments at the border has been addressed, but it’s not clear how future shipments will be handled. Most market analysts believe canaryseed prices will strengthen when exports to Mexico resume. Unfortunately, a deal to bring about the resumption of trade remains elusive. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: agricultural products, agricultural services, Canadian canaryseed, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canadian Special Crops Association, canaryseed exports, crop protection, custom application, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, Force Majeure, Mexican market, precision agronomics, quarantine weed seeds, soil fertility, stinkweed, Variable Rate Technology, wild buckwheat
A couple weeks ago, there was hope for a quick resolution to Mexican import restrictions on Canadian canaryseed. Unfortunately, there has been limited progress in resolving the problem. Canaryseed exporters in this province say that about half of the canaryseed railcars stopped at the Mexican border have been allowed to enter, but the status of the product now in Mexico remains unclear. A couple weeks ago, there seemed to be a willingness at the ministerial level in Mexico to forge a new agreement on weed seed levels in Canadian canaryseed, particularly in regard to wild buckwheat. That willingness has not been apparent within the Mexican bureaucracy. Exporters close to the situation say there have been communication breakdowns between Mexican and Canadian officials and there’s no estimating when exports will resume. In the meantime, canaryseed is only sporadically being purchased from farmers and prices are soft. Mexico is usually the top customer for our canaryseed and it won’t be a normal market until they’re back in. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: ag products, ag services, agricultural products, agricultural services, Canadian canaryseed, crop protection, custom application, Dynagra, Fertilizer, fertilizers, financial solutions, Mexico, precision ag, precision agronomics, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology, VRT, wild buckwheat
Mexico has agreed to a 60-day delay in implementing new restrictions on wild buckwheat in Canadian canaryseed. Speaking yesterday at the Canadian Special Crops Association annual meeting in Saskatoon, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced that he had talked to his counterpart in Mexico to arrange the brief reprieve. This means that a number of railcars of canaryseed stalled at the Mexican border will be allowed to enter. It also provides until mid-August to work out a deal to satisfy Mexican concerns. While it’s easy to conclude that Mexico is just trying to get our canaryseed at a cheaper price, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Mexican buyers, some of whom are in attendance at the Saskatoon meeting, want our canaryseed just as much as we want to sell it to them. However, wild buckwheat is a quarantined weed seed in Mexico. Officials there have become concerned about its spread and the cost to control it. Some shipments of Canadian canaryseed have apparently had high levels. Fortunately, Mexico seems to realize that its imposition of zero tolerance is not practical and that will hopefully make it possible for the two countries to reach a workable solution. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: Agricultural Minister Gerry Ritz, agricultural products, agricultural services, Canadian canaryseed, Canadian Special Crops Association, crop protection, custom application, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, precision agronomics, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology, wild buckwheat
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has received notification from Mexico that all imports of Canadian canaryseed will be held and tested for the presence of quarantine weed seeds. Specifically, Mexico is looking for wild buckwheat and they have indicated that the detection of just one wild buckwheat seed will result in rejection of the canaryseed shipment. The CFIA tests every consignment for weed seeds prior to issuing a phytosanitary certificate, but Canada won’t be able to meet the zero tolerance Mexico is now apparently enforcing. There are herbicides that control wild buckwheat in canaryseed, but there are still seeds that show up in the production. Canadian cleaning plants remove weed seeds including wild buckwheat, but the cleaning isn’t perfect. Often there are one or two and even a dozen wild buckwheat seeds showing up in a 100 gram sample. Mexico is an important market for Canadian canaryseed, the vast majority of which is produced in Saskatchewan. Until Mexican officials can be convinced that there zero tolerance is unworkable, it appears that market will be closed. We’ve exported canaryseed to Mexico for many years and it isn’t clear why this is now a problem. This is another example of how a zero tolerance can mess up market access. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: agricultural products, agricultural services, Canadian canaryseed, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canaryseed, CFIA, crop protection, custom application, Dynagra, exports, fertilizers, financial solutions, Mexico, phytosanitary certificate, precision agronomics, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology, weed seeds, wild buckwheat
