Seeds Canada Follows Up On Numerous PBR Cases

Last week, a large farming operation in Southern Alberta reached the largest cash settlement in a Plant Breeders' Rights case in Canadian history agreeing to pay over $737 thousand dollars.

 

The Director of Intellectual Property Protection for Seeds Canada, Lorne Hadley says they investigate a number of cases each year of people infringing on the rules under Plant Breeders Rights.

 

"Ninety per cent of it is myself or others from Seeds Canada having a conversation What are you selling? Do you know you shouldn't? If it's a variety that shouldn't be sold without the permission of the varieter. Then there's a group that think, well, you know, I think this variety is in short supply, so I should be selling it. And we use that system to determine what we do in terms of negotiating with infringers."

 

Hadley says they deal with one to four hundred cases each year noting that each case is handled and investigated separately.

 

"Is it a small farmer who just needs to know more? Is it somebody who set out to actually take the variety without paying a royalty? Or is it somebody that's in the business of, you know, essentially brown bagging seed. Keep in mind every time seed is brown bagged, there is no royalty going back to the breeder."

 

He notes anyone who uses a PBR-91 protected seed purchases it, processes it or sells PBR protected varieties inappropriately is liable.

Video: Veteran Farmers: A Legacy of Service in Rural America

Veterans Day is a time to honor the men and women who have selflessly protected our freedoms and values. And for some, the transition from military service to civilian life brings them back to the farm.

At Farm Bureau, we believe it’s important to not only celebrate veterans but also those who continue to make a difference in agriculture and their community. We've partnered with Farm Credit to establish the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence to shine a light on those who have continued to go above and beyond to serve their communities.

This year, we recognize retired Colonel Joe Ricker as the inaugural Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence winner. Joe served over 30 years in the Army before retiring from the Pentagon and completing tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, his commitment to excellence in farming and enriching the lives of veterans has blossomed in a myriad of ways in both his local community of Wilkinson, Indiana, and across the country. Joe grows apples and raises bees on his farm in Indiana. Joe founded “Veterans IN Farming,” an organization, now with more than 1,100 members, dedicated to providing veterans in Indiana with the tools and training to succeed in agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization, comprised of and directed by farm and ranch families who engage in all types of food, fuel and fiber production.