Farmers Must Test Flax in 2010

The discovery of the de-registered GM variety CDC Triffid in flax shipments to Europe has cost the Canadian flax industry millions of dollars and led to new protocols by the Flax Council.

All producers are required to have their seed stock tested to weed out and thin the stock accordingly and to let producers know whether or not their stocks are affected.

"Everything is below 0.1 per cent and most falls into a level lower than that," said Barry Hall.

The Flax Council of Canada says that out of 2500 tests, 9 per cent have tested positive for low amounts of Triffid. CDC Normandy and CDC Monz have also been removed from the marketplace as they tested positive.