Financial Support for Producer’s Testing Costs Ending February 28th, 2014 – January 23, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Winnipeg, Manitoba (January 23, 2014) – Funding for the Flax FarmStewardship testing program will continue until February 28, 2014. After this date,testing costs will be fully borne by the producer.
Following the detection of CDC Triffid in export shipments of flax in 2009, the flaxindustry, with the financial support of Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) hasworked diligently to test all flaxseed. The participation of prairie farmers in the Flax Farm Stewardship Program has been instrumental in reducing the incidence of Triffid and has been a cornerstone to the industry’s efforts in restoring confidence in the EU marketplace. The Flax Council of Canada, with funding provided by AAFC through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP), has provided a discount of 50% of farmers’ testing costs since 2011.
Producers are encouraged to complete testing of harvested flax seed and planting seed for the presence of Triffid prior to February 28, 2014 to take advantage of the current financial support that is available. A description of sampling procedures can be found on the Flax Council’s website. Please note that some flax buyers will only accept test results from certain labs. Check with the Flax Council for the complete list of approved testing labs: www.flaxcouncil.ca
Contact:
William Hill, President, Flax Council of Canada
465-167 Lombard Avenue, Winnipeg, MB
Ph: 204-982-2115
E-mail: flax@flaxcouncil.ca
Website: www.flaxcouncil.ca
