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Guidelines to completing the new fertilizer or supplement registration application form

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This document was created to assist registrants/applicants to thoroughly and accurately complete a fertilizer or supplement registration application form (CFIA/ACIA 5919) to apply for registration under the current (new) Fertilizers Regulations.

Do not complete and submit an application form without first determining whether or not your product is exempt from registration. The registration triggers guidance document has been designed to assist proponents in answering this question. A fertilizer or supplement that does not require registration will not be registered. If an application is submitted to register a product that is exempt from registration, the application will be denied and the application fee will not be refunded. The safety review fee is refundable if an application is closed before a safety review has been started.

Applications for registration can be made through the electronic submission platform (My CFIA) and applicants are strongly encouraged to submit through My CFIA. While email or mail applications will still be accepted, they are slower to process and are therefore not the CFIA's preferred format/route from a file processing perspective. For electronic applications, the fertilizer or supplement registration application form (CFIA/ACIA 5919) is not required as the application process in My CFIA will prompt the user to submit all required information.

If you choose to submit an application by email or mail, the registration application form must be completed in its entirety. The CFIA may reject a Fertilizer or Supplement Registration Application if the form is deemed incomplete or if the information provided does not exactly match the information stated on the accompanying label.

Refer to the "New Regulations: Guide to Submitting Applications for Registration Under the Fertilizers Act" for information on how to prepare your submission package.

Product Type (mandatory)

Please select the check-box on the application form for the corresponding product type for registration. Product types are described as follows:

Supplement

Supplement registration is for any substance or mixture of substances, other than a fertilizer, that is manufactured, sold or represented for use in the improvement of the physical condition of soils or to aid plant growth or crop yields. The effects conferred by the product may be direct or indirect.

Registrable supplements can be chemical in nature (e.g. plant growth regulators, wetting agents) or microbial in nature (contain viable microorganisms).

Note that where a supplement is included in a fertilizer product, the product type is assigned according to the fertilizer type.

Micronutrient

Micronutrient products are fertilizers represented to contains any of the following plant nutrients: Boron (B), Chloride (Cl), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Molybdenum (Mo), Manganese (Mn) or Zinc (Zn).

Fertilizer-pesticide and supplement pesticide

Fertilizer-pesticide or supplement-pesticides are combination products.

Note that if pesticide or disease resistance claims are made on the label, and the pesticide is not registered under the Pest Control Products Act for that approved use and the application rate for that pesticide, approval and/or registration from the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is required.

Hydroponic fertilizer (soilless)

Hydroponics fertilizer (soilless) products are fertilizers intended for use in soilless systems.

Home and garden fertilizer

Home and garden fertilizers are fertilizers recommended for use only on household plants and urban gardens.

Commercial fertilizer

A commercial fertilizer is any substance or mixture of substances containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium or other plant food, manufactured, sold or represented for use as a plant nutrient.

Brand name (if applicable)

This field is where you enter the brand name (must be identical to the brand name found on the marketplace label).

Brand refers to any distinctive mark or trade name, other than the name and grade required by the Fertilizers Regulations, that is applied by the manufacturer, registrant or vendor to distinguish the fertilizer or supplement from any other product.

If the brand name is bilingual on the label (appears differently in French and English), both the French and English wording must be included on the registration form.

Name and/or grade (mandatory)

This field is where you enter the name of the product (must be identical to the product name found on the marketplace label).

When applicable the product name must contain the following:

Both the French and English wording of the name must appear on the application form.

Physical characteristics (mandatory)

This field is where you enter the physical characteristics of the product (e.g. liquid, granular, pH, odor, size guide number (SGN) for blending products, etc.).

You may include additional information in your submission package, and connect this information to the application form by adding the following suggested wording "refer to submitted documents" in the other qualities section of the application form.

Refer to the New Regulations: Guide to Submitting Applications for Registration Under the Fertilizers Act for more information in regards to requirements on physical characteristics of the product.

Guaranteed analysis (mandatory)

In this section, enter the following information (when applicable):

Refer to T-4-130 – Labeling requirements for fertilizers and supplements for more information in regards to requirements for the guaranteed analysis.

Name and address of manufacturer (mandatory)

This field is where you enter the manufacturer's name and full postal address, including the country. A manufacturer is the company or individual who produces the final product. Make sure to include all manufacturing sites. The list of manufacturing sites can be provided on a separate sheet of paper and be referenced on the application form by adding statement such as "refer to attached list of manufacturing sites".

If the name and address of the manufacturer appears on the product label, the information on the application form must be exactly the same as that on the product label.

Applicant information (registrant) (mandatory)

An applicant is a person who makes an application for registration. A registrant is a person who has been issued a certificate of registration under the Fertilizers Act and regulations. If the name and address of the applicant (or registrant) is the same as the manufacturer's name and address, it is acceptable to check the box "same as manufacturer".

This field is where you enter the applicant's business structure (choose the appropriate checkbox), legal name of business (as registered), operating name, phone number, Canada Revenue Agency business number, email and full postal addresses for both office and billing.

If the name and address of the applicant (registrant) appears on the product label, the information on the application form must be exactly the same as that on the product label.

Which name will appear on the label? (mandatory)

Check either the "registrant" or "manufacturer" box to reflect the information that appears on the product label. The respective information must appear on the product label exactly the same as it appears on the application form.

Signature of authorized representative (mandatory)

This field is where you enter a clearly printed name and the accompanying signature (include the date of signing) of an authorized representative. This is necessary in order to proceed with the registration of a product.

To ensure that all applications are legitimate and to protect confidential business information, the applicant (registrant) - a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship or individual - must provide the CFIA with a letter authorizing individual(s) to sign fertilizer or supplement registration application forms on behalf of the company. For more information on signing authority, please refer to trade memorandum T-4-95: Signing authority, Delegated Representatives and Canadian Agents.

Name and address of the resident agent if the applicant is not a resident in Canada

This field is where you enter (if applicable) a clearly printed name and complete address of the Resident Agent.

It is not mandatory that the registrant/applicant resides in Canada. However, as stated in the Fertilizers Regulations, if the applicant does not reside in Canada the name and full address of an agent who is a permanent resident in Canada (resident agent) and to whom any legal notice or correspondence may be sent, must be provided to the CFIA. Note that designation as the Canadian agent does not automatically mean the person has a signing authority on the file. A separate statement is required to authorize the CFIA to communicate with the individual regarding the file. It is the responsibility of the applicant to inform the CFIA if the agent's address changes or if the agent ceases to represent the applicant.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact:

Fertilizer Safety Section
c/o Pre-market Application Submissions Office (PASO)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A 0Y9
Canada
Phone: 1-855-212-7695
Fax: 613-773-7115
Email: cfia.paso-bpdpm.acia@inspection.gc.ca

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