Triffid

A Year Later

Flax Day 2011

Saskatoon, SK.January 10th, 2011Barry Hall,

PresidentFlax Council of

Canada

Short Answer . . . No Change

Triffid has a GM Event unapproved in the EU. Tolerance for unapproved GM Events – zero.

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Some Progress However

Protocol for Bulk Shipments to EU

Original Terms: Triffid free certificate based on load samples. Problem – by the time results are received, vessel has sailed. This resulted in several instances of flax in several holds testing positive.

This flax was held in quarantine in the port of Ghent, Belgium.Change: This part of the protocol was renegotiated last February and now

certificates are based on “in store samples”. This has prevented the loading of any flax that has tested positive this

year. Important step forward from a “risk management” standpoint.

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Technical Solution

Proposed Applies only to events authorized in one or more countries

but not in the EU.

One Step Forward Level of detection moves from 0.01% to 0.1%.

Several Steps Back Would only apply to feed. Most commodities used for food and feed. This proposal was sent back for further review due to concerns over “feed

only” provision. Would only apply to commodities being considered for approval in the EU. This means it would not apply to Triffid. 4

Testing Farm Production

Given the difficulty in meeting the 0.01% level of detection (1 seed in 10,000), the industry moved from testing one replicate to testing 4 replicates.

This increases the reliability of the results and is in line with the testing required of the export shipments and seed for planting.

This has resulted in a dramatic improvement in rejection of cars shipped to Thunder Bay and in store results.• Rail car shipments – 4%• In store Thunder Bay – 2%

This change resulted in a doubling of the cost of farm production testing.

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Financial Support

The Flax Council of Canada has been successful in obtaining financial support from AAFC under the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation (CAAP) program to assist in reducing the cost of testing.

The program will pay 50% of the lab fee up to a maximum of $100.00.

This has been put in place as of January 1st, 2011 for testing of pedigreed seed and farm saved seed for planting.

In August 2011, this will apply to all flax seed production.

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To DateResults of Triffid Testing for 2010/2011 Crop YearSamples Tested 3387

Outlook

There is light at the end of the tunnel.

It is a Very Long Tunnel!

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Thank You!