NOVEMBER 2026 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA 15 move several crop kinds — potentially including field peas, lentils, flax, grain triticale and grain rye — from Part I to Part III. Such a move could shorten the path to registration by eliminating the mandatory preregistration testing and merit assessment currently required for those crops. Seward stresses that this remains a developing industry discussion, not a finalized government decision. The MSGA is following it closely rather than positioning itself reflexively for or against it. “We don’t see it really happening right away,” she says. “But with the gov ernment’s interest in reducing red tape and trying to get technology to producers quicker, it might.” There is a legitimate case for moving faster. Manitoba pea growers, for example, have faced disease, quality and market challenges. Varieties with stronger disease packages could be valu able, and a more flexible registration pathway might help breeders bring them forward sooner. The concern is what happens after the registration barrier is lowered. “Our members have to think about the consequences of no merit testing on some of those crop types,” Seward says. That question reaches beyond seed growers. Commercial farmers depend on regional evidence when choosing varie ties for their own farms. A variety may be legally registered and commercially avail able, but that does not tell a grower how it performs in Manitoba’s soils, weather and disease environment. Moving a crop to Part III would not end independent testing, but it would no longer be required before a variety is registered. Regional trial programs, commodity groups or seed companies would then have to decide who conducts the testing and who pays for it. Seward worries this could weaken the independ ent review that currently helps protect farmers under the Part I system. That presents a difficult problem for MCVET. The program currently tests registered varieties and compiles yield, agronomic, disease and quality informa tion for Seed Manitoba. On average, it evaluates about 23 major and minor crop types annually through trials conducted under standardized protocols. “In the case of MCVET, we don’t test anything that’s not registered,” Seward says. “If we’re asked to test things and give ratings on things that aren’t registered, who’s going to pay for that? Because we’re already borderline cost recovery right now.” That may be the defining policy question for MSGA heading into its centennial: if Canada removes a layer of mandatory testing to accelerate innova tion, who takes responsibility for produc ing the trusted information farmers still require? For Seward, speed and evidence should not be treated as opposing goals. New varieties can reach farmers sooner, but the industry must determine how credible, comparable regional data will follow them into the marketplace. Modernization Moves Closer The broader seed regulatory moderniza tion (SRM) process began in 2020 and has involved working groups, technical teams and several rounds of consultation. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the modernization is intended to reduce administrative burden, improve competitiveness and innovation, and continue protecting farmers, consumers and the environment. Feedback from the final informal consul tation on Parts I, III and IV of the Seeds Regulations is now being used to draft regulatory amendments for publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I. Court has participated in one of the cereal working groups, helping reconsider field standards for crop inspection and seed production. She sees opportuni ties to remove duplication and make the system more practical for growers. Yet she also recognizes how difficult it is to isolate unnecessary red tape from func tions that quietly provide value. “It’s complex,” she says. “It’s hard to really narrow down where the redun dancy is in the system and what we’re losing.” That distinction matters to an organization whose members operate at the point where policy becomes physical. A policy that appears simple on paper can change how a seed field is inspected, which varieties a grower is willing to multiply and what information is ulti mately available to a farmer buying seed. “I think there are some really big changes coming that are going to affect seed growers,” Court says about SRM. “It’s going to reduce some of the burden and make things a little bit easier.” Manitoba’s Turn to Convene This fall, MSGA will bring provincial seed grower leaders and industry re resentatives to Winnipeg for the annual seed grower interprovincial meeting. An industry day is scheduled for Nov. 25 at The Inn at the Forks, with Manitoba hosting discussions about the changes confronting seed growers nationwide. Court says the gathering will give provincial boards a chance to compare experiences and test ideas against per spectives from across the country. “We want to really hear some feed back from the other provincial boards, throw some ideas out there and bounce them around the room and see what comes back at us,” she says. “It’s always a good opportunity to hear from other people across the country about what kind of issues they’re facing.” “OUR MEMBERS HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF NO MERIT TESTING ON SOME OF THOSE CROP TYPES.” -Jennifer Seward
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