Ritz Says Ottawa Will Make Changes to Plant Breeders Act

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz says plant breeder rights need updating. Ritz believes Canada is falling behind when it comes to adopting new technology. 

Minister Ritz is advocating that Canada sign UPOV 91, the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants convention, an international agreement. This agreement would expand plant breeders’ rights with the hope of encouraging the development of new varieties. The current legislation is based on 1978 UPOV standard.

Signing onto the convention requires parliamentary changes to the Plant Breeders Act. Ritz says the government plans to sign UPOV 91 by Aug. 2014. Plant breeders’ rights are a form of intellectual property rights, which allows breeders to protect their new varieties. 

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