Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
July 2, 2015

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz today welcomed the establishment of an international research partnership between CANTERRA SEEDS Limited and Groupe Limagrain of France.

The two companies will develop and test new and advanced cereal varieties, with a particular focus on wheat, taking advantage of their world-leading expertise in crop breeding to deliver results for farmers in Western Canada.

The passage of C-18 and ratification of the 1991 Act of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV 91) treaty brings Canada in line with other major trading partners and gives companies like CANTERRA SEEDS and Limagrain greater incentive to increase their investment in research and development for Canada's crop sector.

Quick facts

• The Harper Government continues to support and encourage research collaboration and partnerships as the way forward in driving growth and innovation in the competitive agriculture industry.
• The Plant Breeders' Rights Act amendments in C-18 were put in place to provide greater incentives for domestic and foreign crop variety developers to invest in plant breeding by providing plant breeders with more protection and giving farmers better access to a wider variety of seeds.
• The Harper Government remains strongly committed to made-in-Canada wheat research, working with industry and academia through the $25 million wheat research cluster and a $97 million contribution to the Canadian Wheat Strategic Alliance.

Quotes

"Today's partnership announcement is a great example of how the Agricultural Growth Act is delivering for Canadian producers. New and innovative partnerships like these create new research and trade opportunities that further invigorate Canada's modern, competitive wheat industry."

- Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz

"By passing Bill C-18 and ratifying UPOV 91, Canada is finally on a level playing field with the rest of the international plant breeding community. For CANTERRA SEEDS, this has thrown open the door to new opportunities we can pass on to our customers."

- David Hansen, President and Chief Executive Officer of CANTERRA SEEDS

Additional links

• C-18: The Agricultural Growth Act
• Questions and answers: Agricultural Growth Act: Updating the Plant Breeders' Rights Act in Canada
• Questions and answers: UPOV 91

Website: http://www.agr.gc.ca

Published: July 2, 2015