Flax - again!

[oneoff]

And further to dmlfarmer's post.
It is hypocritical for the seed industry to propose and/or support the certified seed solution that they are attempting to force on regular farmers.
The admission that Triffid is even contaminating breeders seed is a call for the seed industry to clean up its own act before they have any right to even comment on other sectors problem. After that happens; I'll decide if I personally want the seed industry to speak on my behalf.

As gregpet correctly stated "Why should I use certified (unpure) seed if my own tests show my seed is Triffid free?"
When the people who have been in control find out that "just because sosmething can be done; doesn't mean that it should be done" we will be one step further to making less irrepairable mistakes.
To those people responsible for past mistakes; I say if you continue to be in charge; you must look for additional input because obviously you have totally screwed up, and need an attitude change.

[cottonpicken]

Cant we just figure out how to punish these people?

Can we get Merchant to hand out a class action whoop
ass?

[dmlfarmer]

While it would be great for growers to be able to sue to recover the losses incurred, the problem is we really do not know if anyone did anything illegal. Afterall, the CFIA approved Triffid for unconfined release in 1998 and it was not until 2001 until the variety was deregistered. Seed growers had every right to multiply this seed for 3 years. And it is important to realize that growers wanted this new variety to help deal with herbicide residues in the soil that were a problem for flax in a rotation. Breeders and seed growers were working to provide a variety with a trait growers wanted.

We have no proof at this time any seed grower sold this seed after 2001. Is it not possible that the very low level of contamination that has been found is entirely due to volunteer growth of Triffid on fields where it was legally grown from 98-01 and the outcrossing of the trait from those volunteers into conventional registered varieties?

What we do now know for sure is:
-once there is unconfined release of any crop, variety, or trait into the enviornment it is impossible to 100% eradicate or control.
-100% segregation of a new variety or trait is impossible to accomplish
-it is not the producer who determines if a variety or trait is acceptable, it is the buyer that sets the rules.

And until every grower understands and respects these three facts, we will see this same problem repeated again with other crops, varieties and traits. And the people really to blame are not the seed growers and breeders but in fact are the growers who are demanding the new traits to begin with.

[charliep]

I'll add on to your list.

All Canada's competitors use bio tech/non traditional breeding techniques
- even Europe. The place where there is some of form of disagreement is
genetic engineering. Not going to bring up here but will raise the
question over time as to what Canada's biotech policy should be. If
biotech is not part of our breeding, will our competitive position be
eroded? Lots of questions will come out of this.

The importance of getting genetic events registered in importing
countries. Someone will correct but a decisions was never rendered in
Europe on Triffid. The application was in the system but the variety was
pulled in Canada before a final decision was made and no more was done
for the reasons you stated. If this variety were introduce to EU regulators
today, it would likely be approved on the European Food Safety Agency
side - the political process may result in a different outcome.

A final factor is at least some agreement on an international rules around
the introduction of bio tech crops including genetically engineered ones.
CFIA has plant with novel trait rules. Europe has the European food Safety
Agency. US and Australia have their processes. Importers have their
processes. All these regulatory agencies should work together to have the
basics of what is needed to have a biotech bred crop approved based on
science. If some country wants to add other factors, fair enough but the
basics of science should at least be outlined.

[charliep]

I might also add from the last comment that growers are not the only
ones asking for new traits. On the consumer side, I note the
introduction of specialty oil canola has met consumer needs around
trans fats in their diets (trait introduced by traditional breeding I know).
More of this will happen in the future.

Even if grower traits, there are still needs for plant breeding and having
tools available to improve. Disease resistance. Improved nitrogen use.
Drought tolerance. Salinity tolerance. Improved hardiness in winter
crops. question then comes to what tools/techniques should be
available to plant breeders.

[jensend]

the seed growers and seed companies will want this to be viewed as a flax issue and something easily fixed. farmers should be looking at the bigger picture and demanding other parts of the industry than themselves take responsibility and be accountable. this could be just another step in the bigger interests in crop production getting more control over the whole production process.

[bucket]

From the flax council of canada, I found a response as to why there is no class action lawsuit.

Quoted from a saved email from Monika Haley, Executive assistant etc.

" The Seed growers who multiplied CDC Triffid in the late 90's did nothing illegal. To this day, it is not illegal to grow Triffid. After it was deregistered in spring of 2001, it has been illegal to sell it for seed for planting. I doubt there is much for a potential class action suit."

regards,

Barry Hall
Monika Haley
Executive Assistant
Flax council of canada
blah,blah, blah

Read it close and then read it again. That was the response from the flax council.

Any questions as to who is responsible now?

[oneoff]

The absolute very least that should come out of the Triffid fiasco is that the regulators and seed industry should acknowledge that they have recognized their mistakes; and will not repeat them with our wheat seed supplies; or alalfa or whatever comes next. I have yet to hear that any mistakes were made; and the response so far seems to be that there isn't anyone responsible.

What a system. It won't even be a suprise when the next incident is announced. Perhaps its a case of the round up wheat incident not yet having reached the media; because I have heard that at least one elevator company is conducting those very tests on commercial grain.

[bucket]

If shaney was the spokesperson he thinks he is maybe one of his alter egos could enlighten us about what is going on with RR wheat and the seed growers and who would be responsible for that mess.

If you've learned something from the flax mess - what is your protocol for RR wheat from the seed growers standpoint?

Is it to put the cost on the producers again and then tell us to buy certified seed from the seed growers? When there has been no commercialization of RR wheat pretty hard to put the costs on farmers, again?

RR wheat has been grown in Saskatchewan.Probably is still being grown and contaminating our supply. But I know nothing because the seed growers haven't told us what to know yet!

[checking]

So Shaney, protecting the seed progatators butts (his kind of people) thinks that farm show spoonful bags of Triffid were a likely cause of the peasants' present problems.

Analyze it. What would be gained by tossing a couple dozen Triffid seeds into an airseeder tank of farm saved flax? I'm frugal, but even I'm not that cheap.

It would take a breeder (Shaney's type of person) to plot plant a few farm show seeds for several years to accumulate enough to sow significant acres to use its GMO trait. I'm patient, but even I'm not that dedicated, and would realize that if I truly needed the trait I'd buy it from my friendly registered seed grower who had it in bulk.

No, that farm show little bag of triffid, if I'd ever seen one, would have been opened, and chewed up on the spot. I love flax. Of course I'd be sporting a third eye by now. Glad I missed that farm show!!!