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APG Applauds Royal Assent of Plant Breeders’ Rights MAR 2 2015 | Producers | News Release

The Alberta Pulse Growers Commission (APG) is pleased that changes to federal Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) legislation that were supported by the organization received Royal Assent.

The amendments found in Bill C-18, An Act to Amend Certain Acts Relating to Agriculture and Agri-Food (Canadian Agricultural Growth Act), will align PBR with the 1991 Convention of the International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties. It offers opportunities for increased investment and delivery of new varieties from plant breeders operating in and outside of Canada, as well as ensuring that farmers have access to new and improved varieties developed in Canada and internationally.

“These are important components of an agricultural sector that is sustainable, innovative and competitive,” said APG Chair Allison Ammeter, noting that APG also supported the legislative changes as a member of Partners in Innovation. “The amendments improve the conditions needed to encourage industry innovation and additional investment to make our sector stronger. This means more and better crop varieties for farmers.”

As a Partners in Innovation member, APG looks forward to working with the federal government on implementing the PBR amendments in the coming months.

Partners in Innovation is a coalition of 20 farmer, industry and value chain organizations representing the vast majority of farmers and accounting for most of Canada’s crop production acres, including grains, oilseeds, pulse crops, vegetables and fruit, potatoes and ornamentals. The members of Partners in Innovation supported amendments to Plant Breeders’ Rights which are critical to the ability of our farmers and our agricultural industry to compete in the global market and make a contribution to the effort to feed, fuel and clothe a rapidly growing world population.