The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have mutually agreed to conditionally extend the deadline to transition the legacy Greenhouse Certification Program to the revised program, which is called the “United States – Canada Greenhouse-Grown Plant Certification Program (GCP).” The transition deadline has changed from September 30, 2021, to December 17, 2021. The legacy program is called the “Canadian Greenhouse Certification Program (CGCP)” in Canada, and the “United States Greenhouse Certification Program (USGCP)” in the United States.
The extension applies only to facilities that have submitted a completed application package to participate in the GCP and are still awaiting an authorization audit on September 30, 2021.
A completed application package includes:
- Completed and signed application form
- Current list of plants in production
- Written Pest Management Plan, including Pest and/or Production Modules where required
Facilities that have submitted a completed application package by September 30, 2021, may continue shipments under the terms of the legacy program until December 17, 2021.
Any legacy USGCP facility that has not submitted a completed application package by September 30, 2021, will lose its approval. APHIS will collect the facility’s export certification labels and interfacility stamps. The facility will no longer be able to ship plants to Canada using an export certification label.
Please direct any questions to PPQexportservices@usda.gov.
