Greenhouse Canada

News
AIPH applauds Agricultural Growth Act

December 16, 2013  By Canadian Garden Centre & Nursery


Dec. 16, 2013, United Kingdom — The International Association of Horticultural Producers
(AIPH) is giving Canada kudos for a new bill aimed at stimulating
horticultural and agricultural investment and innovation.

On Dec. 9, the federal government introduced the Agricultural Growth Act, which will increase growers' and farmers' access to new crop varieties, enhance trade opportunities, reduce red tape and contribute to the overall economic growth of the country.

Among the key changes proposed in the bill are amendments to the Plant Breeders' Right Act to align with the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOC Convention 1991). The act would update Canada's legislation from the now outdated framework of the UPOV Convention 1978.

Advertisement

AIPH applauded the new bill, and encouraged other countries to accelerate the implementation of plant breeders' rights.

"AIPH supports a strong and balanced plant breeders rights (PBR) framework, the rights of breeders to act against infringement of their rights and the rights of growers who legally use protected varieties," said Bernard Oosterom, chairman of the AIPH novelty protection committee.

"From this perspective AIPH fully endorses the UPOV plant variety rights system and is of the opinion that it plays a very positive role in the development of the agricultural and horticultural sector, and the relationship between breeders, farmers and growers. Both sectors will benefit from the new bill."


Print this page

Advertisement

Stories continue below


Related