A Japanese Farm Ministry official said on Friday it has suspended its tender and sale of wheat from Canada after grain containing a genetically modified trait was discovered last summer in Alberta.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Thursday the wheat containing a genetically modified trait, developed by Monsanto Co. to tolerate the Roundup weed killer, was discovered in the Western Canada province.

"We are suspending the tender and sale of Canadian wheat until we confirm that the Canadian wheat that Japan buys contains no GMO," the Japanese official said.

Canada is one of the world's largest wheat exporters. Japan is Canada's second largest global market for wheat, taking $598.6 million worth in 2016, according to the federal government's website...

This was excerpted from the 15 June 2018 edition of CBC News.