Variety registration

Canada is updating its variety registration system to:

• support innovation
• strengthen competitiveness
• help create new opportunities for the crop sector

Variety registration helps make sure new crop varieties meet health and safety requirements and that accurate information about each variety is available to regulators. This helps to:

• prevent fraud
• supports seed certification
• facilitate international seed trade
• allow varieties to be tracked through the supply chain

These requirements are set out in the Seeds Act and Seed Regulations (Part III and Schedule III).

Variety registration procedure

• Guidance for varieties that have been approved in foreign jurisdictions
• Procedures for the registration of crop varieties
• Submitting a reference control sample for testing
• Use of variety names, import and sale of unregistered varieties
• Use of prefixes in variety names

Variety description forms

• Barley
• Canola and rapeseed
• Fababean
• Oat
• Potato
• Soybean
• Wheat, durum, spelt and triticale

Registered varieties

• Registered varieties and cancellations from the Variety Registration Office
• Database of varieties registered in Canada

Offshore seed multiplication

We help to ensure that seeds going for off-shore seed multiplication meet Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developmen (OECD) Seed Scheme requirements.

• Instructions to Complete CFIA form 5747 Application for Multiplication Agreement
• Application for Multiplication Agreement for Varietal Certification of Seed Multiplied Abroad (CFIA/ACIA 5747)

Any inquiries regarding Multiplication Agreements for Certification of Seed Multiplied Abroad should be directed to cfia.paso-bpdpm.acia@inspection.gc.ca.

Recommending committees

• Recognized crop specific recommending committees in Canada – Contact information
• Model Operating Procedures for Recommending Committees

Additional government and industry information

Canada

• Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA)
• Canadian Seed Institute (CSI)
• Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA)

International

• American Seed Trade Association (ASTA)
• Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA)
• Germplasm Resource Information Network (GRIN)
• International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)
• International Seed Federation (ISF)
• International Seed Testing Association (ISTA)
• Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)
• Seed Association of the Americas (SAA)