Plant Breeders' Rights

[charliep]

bgmb

Not sure the seed industry is on side for the reasons you indicate. The rules are about paying for the seed technology you are using - not where you source your seed. Some members may favor because they believe it will result in more investment in plant breeding. It will also allow better access to seed from other regions with more protection for plant breeders. Canada is the wild west of the world when it comes to releasing new cereal. Someone may have a better number but the number I use is only 15 % of cereal seed planted in western Canada is certified with the rest farm saved. Hard to recapture plant breeding investment in this environment.

[grower99]

Can UPOV'91 coexist with Ag Canada's
public breeding program. Maybe the wheat
checkoff should be used for financing
public research like we have now where
you pay a royalty on certified seed but
can reuse the seed at no extra cost and
no levies at point of sale. If you lose
the public program and thus access to
these genetics you may never get them
back as a small number of companies will
control the science. Maybe a wheat
breeder for Ag Canada could join the
discussion and share his perspective.

[SASKFARMER3]

Why am I pissed at this topic.
Here is a quick example.
Bayer came out with L150 a few years ago with sample bags to try and compare. I said to the rep its ok but nothing special. Then all winter all I heard is BRAG BRAG BRAG by the company that's its the next big thing. So we thought I guess maybe I did something wrong and got no real extra bonus. Well let me tell you the crop was a complete shit show the next year. Every one in our area that had it was pissed. Seems western Canada had same problem. L150 was put on back burner and 5440 that they wanted to can was brought back because farmers wanted it.
So This is why paying over priced seed doesn't work. BS from companies and BS all way along. Farmers pay over and over. Bayer did nothing for our shit show in 2012. Oh I guess they did send 5440 down to South America to be grown for seed for 2013 but that was all then increased the price on 5440.
Seed business Is a shit show that once wheat is gone over to the dark side. The same will happen as did with Canola no big dif in yield yet costs through the roof. (we did have big canola crops in the last 40 years this year wasn't the first) Farming practices have changed and given big yields not seed. convenience in spraying liberty or roundup. Yes that's a given but yield that's BS.

[charliep]

I note UPOV 91 isn't about the seed a farmer choses to plant on their farm. That is their decision based on their cost benefit analysis. It is a finding a way for plant breeders to protect their rights to their breeding program and to capture their returns on their investment if a farmer uses their seed (either certified or farm saved). The rules have been in place in other parts of the world for over 20 years.

[jensend]

so if upov91 is to protect the rights of the breeder and has been in effect for twenty years in some parts of the world it would be nice if somebody would describe all the benefits accruing to farmers in those countries.

[SASKFARMER3]

Show me the money! How are farmers further ahead.
Charlie on your comments where is canola gone. From 1.00 lb to 14. And all we got was Monsanto and Bayer to spray on our canola. Yield really talk to old growers their were big yields like this year over the last 20 to 30 years.
Where are the Royalties paid to our universities.

[malleefarmer]

sask its not how much further ahead you will be but opposite how much further behind you will be if you don't do it

these guys need money and lots of it for plant breeding

have our farm costs gone up last 15 yrs try there with all the red tape and infrastructure add on costs seems like im beating a dead horse here with gerrid we seem to be the only two in favour

[wd9]

Then stop paying the high price for
bayers seed SF3. Its that simple.

Buy some Dekalb 7265 at a third the
price with almost the same yield.

But, ya won't. You'll book bayer
overpriced seed in July at 12, 13, 14$ a
pound. Soon you'll be booking it in May
while they sit around the board table
pissing themselves laughing so hard
pumping out more ads on how vital your
wife and bayer is on your farm making
you all emotional.

So is the legislation a bad thing, or
are farmers just that f*#%ing stupid?

Still no answer on why the US hasn't
adopted all these fears.

[grower99]

Mallee,was public breeding in Australia
so bad and their scientists so inept
that the private companies just blew
them out of the water or was there
legislation that stacked the deck
against them? I need clarification.
Public breeders in Canada are losing
their jobs not due to lack of knowledge
or the development of poor varieties but
due to the federal government cutbacks
to reduce the deficit and possibly on
ideological grounds.Our program has been
highly successful maybe as good or
better than yours and a lot more
inexpensive.

[charliep]

Should let mallefarmer answer but I think you had to start from the beginning and that is the GRF (Grain Research Foundation). Australia like us had a whole hodge podge of groups involved in research including plant breeding. The GRF brought together money including both farmer and government.

In terms of plant breeding, universities were the name public sector plant breeding organizations. Malleefarmer can comment on their success/contribution. GRF used their money to partner with universities on breeding programs and they both went jointly to the private for additional funding. All parties (GRF, university, private sector) retain equity ownership in all varieties/technologies that are developed and expect return on successfull investments -also bear the risk of unsucessfull ones.

My understanding (someone may correct) is that GRF doesn't use their levy to invest in plant breeding but rather uses the dividends/returns on their varieties developed to date to re-invest (no need to top up).

Have seen several presentations on their system and seems to work (malleefarmer can comment). Not sure on the application to western Canada.