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Cancellation of Variety Registration by Request in Canada

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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in consultation with the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) has adopted a protocol for cancellation of variety registrations by request of the Canadian Representative and Breeder of a given variety. This applies to crop kinds listed in Schedule III of the Seeds Regulations. This is an extension, to all crops subject to registration, of the previous CFIA/CGC joint "National Wheat Variety Deregistration Protocol" adopted October 16, 2009. At the time it was a new communications protocol to provide timely information to grain producers and industry representatives on upcoming changes to the registration status of wheat varieties.

Under this new, extended protocol, a three year notification of cancellation period will apply to varieties of all crop kinds except hybrid canola and rapeseed. Hybrid canola and rapeseed will require a one year notification period. This timeline enables the Canadian Representative and Breeder to ensure that seed stocks of the variety have been cleared from the market and that growers have been duly notified, well in advance, in order to clear seed stocks in farmers' operations. This will help farmers to plan for the future and minimize any financial risk to their businesses. Notifications will be posted August 1st in each calendar year and the notification period is from that date forward.

The CFIA and CGC are committed to communicating to farmers well before varieties are cancelled. Standardizing the period of cancellation will help to prevent financial risk to farmers by avoiding the planting of varieties of field crops which will no longer be registered for sale in Canada.

Variety registration cancellation for cause (e.g., non-compliance, fraud, loss of varietal integrity, etc.) is not part of this policy and remains an enforcement tool available to the Registrar, Variety Registration Office.

The CFIA publishes the Proposed List of Variety Registration Cancellations with the date of cancellation. On August 1st of each year this list is revised and released by the VRO. The CGC revises their Variety Designation Lists throughout the year as changes occur.

For more information, please read section 6.2 of the guidance document Procedures for the Registration of Crop Varieties in Canada.

The CGC publishes variety designation lists that list the varieties of wheat, durum, barley, and flax which are eligible for specified classes of grain at the elevator.

Contact CFIA at: VRO-BEV@inspection.gc.ca

Contact CGC at: contact@grainscanada.gc.ca

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