CFIA alerted about GM wheat in Alberta

Jun 15, 2018

The wheat contained Monsanto’s Roundup Ready trait

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) revealed that it encountered a variety of GM wheat in southern Alberta last summer.

A producer found the wheat on the side of an access road leading to an oil platform. The farmer contacted Alberta Agriculture after the wheat survived a herbicide application. Alberta Agriculture then forwarded its results to the CFIA for further examination.

The CFIA tested seven plants and found the wheat matched Monsanto’s MON71200 wheat line, an incident report says. Wheat from the same line was used in field trials in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but those trials were conducted about 300 kilometres way from the discovery site.

The wheat also contained Monsanto’s Roundup Ready trait, David Bailey, director of the CFIA’s plant production division, told reporters on a conference call yesterday.

Government officials destroyed the remainder of the plants, giving scientists reason to believe the wheat has not spread to other fields.

“We can say with confidence that is it not in the grain system and not in the seed system because we were able to isolate it and control it and destroy it,” Bailey said.

The CFIA believes the discovery of GM wheat is isolated and should not have any impact on wheat exports.

But the federal government is providing grain buyers with tools and resources to ensure their shipments of Canadian wheat are free of the genetically modified wheat.

“We have developed a test kit that we can share with trading partners who wish to test their own grain that’s imported from Canada,” Bailey said. “We are prepared for any questions that come from trading partners.”

“The government is going to provide information to allow our trading partners to make informed, science-based decisions to continue trading in Canadian wheat,” Kathleen Donohue, executive director of market access coordination for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said during the conference call.

Canadian trading partners, however, don’t feel the same way.

Japan, who imported more than 1.6 million tons of Canadian wheat in 2015, is suspending further purchases in light of the GM discovery.

“We are suspending the tender and sale of Canadian wheat until we confirm that the Canadian wheat that Japan buys contains no GMO,” an official at the Japanese agriculture ministry said, Reuters reports.

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.