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The Asahi Shimbun reported on June 16 that, following the discovery of genetically modified (GM) wheat in Alberta in the summer of 2017, Japan has halted all tenders and sales of Canadian wheat. Japan is Canada’s second-largest purchaser of wheat.
Despite Canada’s prohibition of GM wheat, such plants were found last year on the side of an access road to an oil well in a field. They appear to have been engineered by Monsanto and have been shown to be resistant to pesticide spraying due to their altered traits.
The halt in purchases of Canadian wheat by Japan, has left Canada concerned. Currently, Japan is looking into the safety of Canadian wheat and considering its best future course of action.