Notice to industry – Change to variety registration requirement for coloured beans

March 23, 2021

Who this notice affects

This notice is intended for members of the pulse crop industry who have an interest in the production, importation and sale of coloured beans (field beans, Phaseolus vulgaris) in Canada.

What is changing and when

Effective October 1, 2021, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is removing a temporary exemption from variety registration for coloured beans. This means that all field beans will revert back to being subject to variety registration prior to import and sale in Canada.

Coloured beans include but are not limited to black beans, cranberry beans, pinto beans, red kidney beans, red Mexican beans, and yellow eye beans.

The CFIA continues to work with the pulse industry to inform affected variety developers, field bean importers and other stakeholders of the impending changes so they can minimize any effects on their activities.

Canada's variety registration system provides assurances that varieties grown in Canada will produce high-quality crops that are adapted to Canadian production systems and the Canadian growing environment.

Further information

For more information, please contact:

Variety Registration Office
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0Y9
VRO-BEV@inspection.gc.ca