The application deadline for compensation related to Phytophthora ramorum should be extended to December 31, 2012, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says.

The proposed amendment to the P. ramorum Compensation Regulations was pre-published in Canada Gazette, Part I, for a 30-day comment period. The amendment will extend the application deadline for those whom the CFIA orders to either dispose or carry out treatment before December 31, 2010.

Compensation is intended to cover additional financial costs as a result of complying with regulatory controls ordered by the CFIA. This includes the cost to dispose of P. ramorum infected plant material and soil, and loss of intended use for this plant material. Compensation payments will support the purchase of replacement plants as appropriate.

P. ramorum is a quarantine pest for Canada and its major trading partners. While it does not pose a risk to human health, it causes a serious disease known as Sudden Oak Death and a milder disease in a wide range of nursery plants known as Ramorum Blight.

Maintaining a pest-free environment ensures Canadian producers continue to have access to countries that regulate for the pest. The CFIA works closely with counterparts in the United States and our trading partners to establish appropriate harmonized regulations.

The CFIA is Canada’s science-based regulator for animal health, plant protection and food safety. The CFIA plays an important role in protecting Canada’s plant resource base from pests and diseases.