The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) is pleased to see the announcement of royal assent for Bill C-18, An Act to Amend Certain Acts Relating to Agriculture and Agri-Food (the Canadian Agricultural Growth Act).
Bill C-18 includes amendments to nine pieces of agricultural legislation, which will have significant impact on several areas for the agricultural sector - from plant protection and breeding to farm financials and feed - most notably including changes to the Agricultural Marketing Products Act and the Plant Breeders' Rights Act.
"The bill's amendments reflect a number of recommendations made by industry over the years and showcase the government has been listening," said Ron Bonnett, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. "We're pleased the government has taken action and followed-up in a concrete way with legislative changes and look forward to continued engagement with government on future consultations, as further details are determined through regulatory development."
Of particular note, amendments to Plant Breeders' Rights (PBR) legislation will align Canada with the 1991 Convention of the International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV'91). Adopting UPOV'91 to align with Canada's international trading partners contributes to increased opportunities for investment in the development of new seed varieties for Canadian producers, from plant breeders both in and outside of Canada.
The CFA, which joined Partners in Innovation - a broad industry coalition of producer groups and other stakeholders - to support the implementation of enhanced PBR, anticipates that Canadian farmers will benefit considerably from greater innovation and an increase in new crop varieties as a result of these changes.
"These amendments strike a good balance between farmers being competitive and able to access the best varieties available in Canada and internationally, and plant breeders receiving a return on their investment in research and innovation," said Bonnett.
Regarding changes to the Agricultural Products Marketing Act, the CFA commends the inclusion of multi-year agreements between producers and administrators of the Advanced Payment Program, amendments to improve repayment flexibility, and a new single-window approach for producers. These changes, amongst others, will reduce red tape and go a long way to making a beneficial program more accessible to industry.
The CFA will continue to work closely with government to ensure the legislative changes translate into clear, effective regulations that provide measurable improvements for the sector.
"The CFA is committed to ensuring the farmers' voice informs future regulations, seeks clarity regarding outstanding concerns, and ensures comprehensive information and recommendations are put forward as details are fleshed out in industry-government conversations," Bonnett concluded.
Source: CFA-FCA