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U.S.-Canada Grower Priority Database
Table of Contents
Current as of May 2012
The U.S. - Canada Grower Priority Database is a tool for growers, registrants, and regulatory agencies to address trade barriers and trade irritants between NAFTA countries (Mexican priorities are expected to be incorporated in the future). The database captures grower-identified priorities for resolving differences in available crop protection tools and Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) in the United States and Canada. This approach is expected to provide a more systematic way to identify and address grower priorities for MRL establishment and resolution of MRL trade issues.
The database will allow users to go to one place to identify:
- Potential trade barriers—situations where an active ingredient or use is available in one country but not the other;
- Potential trade irritants—situations where the two countries have different MRLs (or no MRL) for corresponding uses; and
- Growers’ priorities for addressing these discrepancies.
The database, while not directly regulatory in nature, is designed to provide support for the orderly and expedited consideration and removal of potential trade issues that may exist in the NAFTA region. The U.S. grower priorities for commodities currently in the database are updated annually beginning in August of each year. The process takes four months and uses an online priority update website system.
- Includes a four-week period when grower groups log on to the priority update system to edit existing priorities, add new priorities, and add comments.
- Followed by a four-week period when registrants log on to the priority update system and review the grower priority submissions.
- Registrants add comments and correct brand names.
- Finally there is a four-week period when growers can review their priorities in light of registrants' comments.
- The updated U.S. grower priorities are uploaded in November/December each year.
New commodities can be added to the database twice a year beginning in February and August, following the same four-month process.
Read more about the U.S.-Canada Grower Priority Database.