Nov. 29, 2010 – Tens of thousands of calibrachoa cuttings, propagated
without permission, were discovered earlier this year by COPF® in
Canada.
Nov. 29, 2010 – Tens of thousands of calibrachoa cuttings, propagated without permission, were discovered earlier this year by COPF® in Canada.
The Most-Effective Monitoring™ Program, started by COPF in 2007, inspects growers within a specific time frame based on their shipping date and plant format. The varieties monitored belong to 34 flower breeders around the world. Millions of cuttings were monitored from fall 2009 to the spring of 2010 with hundreds of growers visited.
Some 10 per cent of Canadian growers across the country who were visited were fined for illegal propagation.
“The Most Effective Monitoring™Program allows monitoring of practically every cutting shipped into Canada,” said COPF president Philip Thompson. “We have an upward trend in discoveries. There were more growers found with illegal cuttings in the spring of 2010 compared to 2009. The goal of this program is to ensure a level playing field. We believe this is how our industry will develop strong and equitable market prices. When you play the right way, it’s a win-win all around.”
COPF works with infringing growers to reconcile the situation in consultation with breeders. Plants covered by the monitoring program include calibrachoa, New Guinea impatiens and petunia, among others. Illegal cuttings were found in Ontario, British Columbia, and Québec.
Greenhouse growers are reminded that many annuals are not allowed to be propagated without permission, even sticking tip cuttings. The best way to keep informed on what you can and cannot propagate is to be a member of COPF in Canada or Plant Watch® in the U.S. For as little as $25 per year, growers can receive the necessary information and avoid fines for illegal cuttings.
COPF, established in 1964, is a non-profit organization with the mission “to provide effective solutions in the management of propagation rights to growers and breeders for the benefit of the horticulture industry.”
To find out more about the Most-Effective Monitoring™Program, go to www.copf.org and click on “About.”
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