Mr.
Ray Rush
Director,
Market Access Division
International
Affairs
Canadian
Food Inspection Agency
59
Camelot Drive, Room 1320E
Nepean,
Ontario K1A 0Y9
Dear Mr. Rush:
I am writing to follow-up on the seed certification
issue discussed by the Province/State Advisory Group (PSAG) to the Consultative
Committee on Agriculture at a February 23 meeting in Washington DC.
The issue from our perspective is that Canada does not
accept the U.S. analyst accreditation system. This results
, thus, resulting in the re-testing of
U.S. certified seed
in order to obtain a Canadian grade certificate.
Two significant changes have
recently occurred that further support our request that Canada accept the U.S.
analyst accreditation system:
1.
In 1999, the US Analysts Accreditation System was
internationally recognized by the Organization of Economic and Commercial
Development (OECD), the International Seed Trade Federation (FIS) and the
International Seed Testing Association (ISTA).
2.
The Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA)
added continuing education requirements for the Certified Seed Analysts to
maintain their accreditation as an analyst in 2000. All accredited seed analysts now have a continuing education
requirement in both AOSA and SCST. The
continuing education requirements require the participation in referee testing,
workshops and meetings as activities that were ongoing before but now are a
required activity of any accredited seed analysts.
The U.S. analysts accreditation system, as
internationally recognized, providesensures
valid test results from trained and skilled seed analysts to serve as a basis for
the Canadian government to issue Canadian grade certificates on certified seed
from the U.S. Failure to grant the
official recognition of the U.S. analyst accreditation system continues to be viewed as an unjustified
trade barrier for by the U.S. seed industry.
We understand from the meeting February 23 that
CFIA has been developing a new seed certification proposal. We hope that the new proposal will indeed
recognize the U.S. analysts accreditation system. When will a draft proposal be released for review? I would appreciate receiving a copy from your office as soon as it is
available, so that interested U.S. State Departments of Agriculture can
actively participate in your public review. that I can forward to
my fellow U.S. PSAG members.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[signed]
Patrick A. Takasugi
U.S. PSAG Co-Chair
Secretary
Idaho State Department of Agriculture
pc: Honorable Paul Robichaud, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries
and Aquaculture,
New Brunswick
Ms. Shirley Stuible
Mr. Harry Gardiner, CFIA
Mr.
Jimames Murphy, USTR
Ms.
Patricia Sheikh,
USDAMr. Roger Mireles
Ms. Marsha Lalande,
FPATPC
Bcc: Ms.
Shirley Stuible, NB
Ms. Sharon Bomer-Lauretsen, USTR
Mr. Roger Mireles, FAS/USDA
Mr. Dan Conable, NASDA
Mr. Patrick Atagi, NASDA
Laura
Johnson, ISDA
Dick
Lawson, ISDA