E-Delivery

Market access is impera ve to the success of the Canadian pulse industry; more than 85% of Canada's pulse produc on is exported to feed the world. Canadian pulse exports must meet the standards set by impor ng countries, including their tolerances for pes cide residues or maximum residue limits (MRLs). That means all parts of the agricultural industry and value chain must pay close a en on to these standards as crop protec on technology con nues to evolve. An MRL is the highest level of pes cide residue that could be found on a food product when a pes cide is used according to label direc on. MRLs are not a safety limit but rather an indica on or measure used to ensure pes cides have been applied properly and according to label direc ons. MRLs are playing an increasingly important role in the acceptance of Canadian pulse crops in our key export markets for three main reasons: 1. Different standards around the world: The fact that there are many different MRL-se ng systems currently used in key export markets for Canadian pulses makes it a very complex issue for growers and exporters to monitor and manage. Growers and exporters of Canadian pulse crops can expect a greater number of missing MRLs as more countries move away from the global standard (Codex) to their own country-specific or na onal MRL lists. Countries that have shi ed to na onal MRL lists may or may not have a clearly defined deferral or default policy for missing MRLs. This is compounded by the fact that some markets implement a zero or "near-zero" default policy when an MRL is missing from a na onal list. Zero or "near-zero" default MRLs are very stringent and can add a great deal of uncertainty to Canadian pulse growers and exporters. 2. Highly sensi ve tes ng equipment: In addi on to the global misalignment of MRL- se ng systems, the poten al for detec ng residues is increasing. New technology can detect levels close to one part per billion, and in some cases parts per trillion. One part per billion is equivalent to one square in a toilet paper roll stretching from New York to London, while one part per trillion is one second in 32,000 years. These are small numbers but s ll bigger than a zero default. 3. Heightened monitoring: In addi on to tes ng equipment becoming more sensi ve, it is being used more frequently as the technology becomes more affordable. For all of these reasons, Canada's en re agricultural value chain is focusing more a en on on mee ng the MRLs set by our key export markets. This is why Pulse Canada is involved in the Keep It Clean program, along with the Canola Council of Canada and Cereals Canada. All three organiza ons collaborate to provide Canadian growers with the informa on they need to ensure their crops are market ready. By providing accurate, relevant and mely informa on, Keep It Clean aims to maintain Canada's reputa on around the world as a trusted supplier and keep Canadian agricultural commodi es welcome in all markets. Under the Keep It Clean ini a ve, the Pulse Value Chain Working Group creates an annual advisory to help pulse growers understand possible marke ng restric ons that may arise from using certain crop protec on products each growing season. This working group is comprised of provincial pulse agronomists, Canadian Special Crop Associa on members, Pulse Canada Board members and other industry experts. The process for formula ng the annual advisory focuses on the need to balance trade risk with the agronomic importance of the crop protec on product to growers. Pulse Canada encourages all pulse growers to review the 2018 advisory so that we can all do our part in maintaining open markets for Canadian pulses. As Manager of Market Access and Trade Policy at Pulse Canada, Mac Ross works on behalf of growers, traders and processors of Canadian pulses to bring resolu on to a wide range of market access issues that can arise across the 130+ countries that import from Canada, the world's largest exporter of pulse crops. Ross also helps posi on the industry to get out in front of future trade problems before they occur. As part of that, Ross manages Pulse Canada's involvement in the cross commodity Keep It Clean ini a ve. Prior to working at Pulse Canada, Ross completed a degree in Agri-Business from the University of Manitoba and worked in the crop protec on sector. To learn more regarding the Keep It Clean ini a ve and the 2018 advisory, please visit www.keepingitclean.ca. STANDARDS MARKET ACCESS DEPENDS ON GROWERS KEEPING IT CLEAN Pulse Canada Staff P U L S E C R O P N E W S S U M M E R 2 0 1 8 | 1 9

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