Japan suspended imports of Canadian wheat about two weeks ago
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Delegates from Japan’s agriculture ministry were in Canada last week to develop a better understanding of how Canada is responding to a GM wheat discovery.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) revealed on June 15 that it encountered a variety of GM wheat in southern Alberta last summer.
Japan announced soon after it would be suspending further purchases of Canadian wheat “until we can confirm that the Canadian wheat Japan buys contains no GMO,” an official with the Japanese agriculture ministry, told Reuters on June 15.
The Japanese visitors began their tour in Ottawa, Ont. at CFIA facilities to witness the tests scientists conducted about the GM wheat.
From there the Japanese officials traveled to Winnipeg, Man., to meet with the Canadian Grains Commission (CGC), said Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada.
“The Canadian and Japanese groups talked about sampling, testing and the monitoring program the Canadian Grain Commission has in place,” he told Farms.com today. “The (CGC) developed a test that would indicate if this particular variety is present in a sample.”
“Then we met with them as an industry to talk about the trade aspects and how we can work together to ensure that trade with Japan resumes as quickly as possible.”
The Japanese officials also toured a grain terminal in Vancouver, Dahl said.
No conversations took place about when Canadian wheat may be welcomed back into Japan.
“We did talk about potential timing, but any of those decisions will come from the (Japanese) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare,” Dahl said.
One trading partner has reopened its borders to Canadian wheat.
Cereals Canada announced the “resumption of wheat and flour trade with South Korea” today.
The Asian country suspended its imports of Canadian wheat on June 19 following the GM wheat discovery.