Are you up-to-date with the latest seed industry developments? Keep reading for the latest updates and links to helpful resources to help facilitate communications with staff and customers about Seed Value Creation and Seed Synergy.

Seed Variety Use Agreement Pilot Program

The Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA) has launched a pilot program to evaluate how a Seed Variety Use Agreement (SVUA) will work in a real-world setting.

At this time, the pilot project will apply to at least three new PBR (Plant Breeders Rights) protected seed varieties, including two wheat varieties and one soybean variety. The varieties include two from Limagrain Cereals Research Canada (LCRC), which will be distributed by Canterra Seeds: a CWRS variety named CS Daybreak and a CPSR variety called CS Accelerate. The third variety will be a glyphosate tolerant soybean variety developed by North Dakota State University and distributed in Canada by SeCan.

To provide transparency on the pilot program and create opportunities for collaboration, the CSTA has formed a working group with producer and industry representation. These combined efforts demonstrate industry leadership and are necessary to move forward with the project, which has been in progress since 2016.

Retailers can visit seedvaluecreation.ca to learn full details about the SVUA Pilot Project and download a variety of resources, including a value creation FAQ and the "myths and facts" of value creation, to help inform and guide conversations about value creation.

Seed Synergy Project

A combined effort of Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, the Canadian Seed Trade Association, the Canadian Seed Institute, the Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada, the Canadian Plant Technology Agency, and CropLife Canada, the Seed Synergy Project is bringing together Canada's seed industry groups to help keep our seed industry competitive within the global community and foster innovation.

To learn more about the Seed Synergy Project, read the project’s Technical Progress Briefing, published in Feb. 2020. Additional resources can be found at seedsynergy.net.

Delegates at the 2020 CAAR Conference heard an update on Seed Value Creation and Seed Synergy from Eric Gregory, CSTA liaison on CAAR’s Board of Directors. Click here to read more about the industry updates: The 2020 CAAR Conference: Embracing Innovation.