Canadian Exports Part 2

Canadian Exports Part 2. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Fruit growers in the NW know that part of their export process is adding appropriate labeling. The Canadian Produce Marketing Association has required “Product of” labels for some time but according to Jane Proctor, VP of Policy and Issue Management for CPMA, they are going to crack down on enforcement.

PROCTOR: That’s actually been on the books so to speak as far as the requirements on the language side which is in fact a regulatory requirement within Quebec. That’s been on the books for some time now but what you are seeing now is the retail trying to step up the adherence to those requirements because they see this as becoming a problem with people not being compliant.

That compliance is the “Product of” labels in French or “Produit du.” Proctor says that there are a number of organic issues on the forefront.

PROCTOR: Then as far as the organic, that’s coming we think by the end of June I believe now but there’s still a lot of questions that have to be answered around that before that can really happen.

Canada is working on new organic regulations for exports according to Dan Dempster, President of the CPMA.

DEMPSTER: There will be a phase in period so our basic objective is to work towards harmonization with the U.S. and organic standard or acceptance of equivalency because harmonization seems to be something very difficult to achieve but at least if we could recognize and accept each others systems as equivalent then we could minimize the trade impacts on products moving north and south of the border.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.