March 1, 2013, Ottawa: Grains and oilseeds growers have a new tool to help protect crops, following the release of a national biosecurity standard today.

Managing on-farm risk is an important part of staying competitive in today's market, said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. This standard offers grains and oilseeds producers a distinct advantage in the fight against pests and diseases on the farm.

There is a lot of useful information within this standard for producers, said Richard Phillips Executive Director of the Grain Growers of Canada. While some pieces of this may already be common practice, I think many producers will pick up some new tips as well to help prevent the spread of pests.

The National Standard is a tool designed to help producers minimize and control the risk of pests and disease entering their farms, spreading within the farm or to neighbouring farms. It is applicable to farm-level operations of all types and sizes.

The standard is divided into four sections:

• Entry of pests to the farm
• Movement of pests within the farm
• Exit of pests from the farm
• Management process

The National Voluntary Farm-Level Biosecurity Standard for the Grains and Oilseeds Industry was developed over two years through a partnership between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Canada Grains Council along with other stakeholders including:

• Grain Growers of Canada
• Canadian Grains Commission
• Canadian Canola Growers Association
• provincial governments

Funding was provided by the Growing Forward policy initiative of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

For a copy of the National Standard or to learn more about biosecurity visit the CFIAs website at www.inspection.gc.ca/plantbiosecurity.

For media inquiries

Canadian Food Inspection Agency Media relations: 613-773-6600

Richard Phillips, Executive Director Grain Growers of Canada 613-233-9954

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