The Government of Canada has announced an amendment to the regulations that will lengthen the fertilizer and supplement registration period. Currently the registration period lasts between 13 and 24 months. The amendment will extend the registration period to three years.

Under the authority of the Fertilizers Act and Regulations, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency carries out pre-market assessment and registration of certain fertilizers and supplements imported into or sold in Canada. The purpose is to verify that fertilizers and supplements are safe, effective and labeled appropriately. The existing wording of section 5.(9) of the regulations states, “Every certificate of registration issued after June 30, 1978 expires on June 30 in the year specified in the certificate that is not later than two years from the date of registration unless the registration is sooner cancelled.” With the coming into force of the April 1st, 2009 amendment, the wording has been replaced by “Every certificate of registration expires 36 months after the day on which a registration number is assigned to the fertilizer or supplement.”