Canada extends protection of potato varieties to 25 years.
The recent regulations aim to simplify access to varieties that are more competitive, resistant and better adapted to modern growing conditions.
The Alberta Potato Growers Association (PGA) has welcomed this measure enthusiastically, calling it an important step forward in stimulating varietal innovation and making it easier for farmers to access new potatoes with improved characteristics, both agronomically and commercially.
According to the PGA, the process of developing new potato varieties involves many years of research, propagation, evaluation, and commercialization before achieving a significant market presence. With the previous 20-year protection period, breeders faced serious difficulties in recouping their investment. The extension to 25 years aims to strengthen incentives for creating new varieties and expand the options available to growers, including in the specific seed potato segment.
This update also incorporates measures aimed at simplifying administrative procedures to expedite the implementation of the varietal protection system.
From the agricultural sector, it is hoped that the new regulations will facilitate the development of varieties better adapted to current growing conditions, especially those with greater disease resistance and better market performance. Farmers could benefit directly through increased competitiveness and sustainability on their farms, particularly in a context marked by increasingly demanding climate and phytosanitary challenges.
Alberta remains a key region for seed potato cultivation in Canada. In 2025, it reached 6,789 hectares planted, representing 28.6% of national production according to official data. Between 2020 and 2024, Alberta contributed an average of 23.5% of all national potato production, cultivating nearly 200 different varieties annually.
Extending the period of varietal protection has been a strategic priority for the PGA for over a decade, the result of ongoing collaboration with various stakeholders in the sector. Particularly noteworthy has been the contribution of Deb Hart, former seed coordinator and later co-chair of the Plant Variety Rights Committee, who continued working toward this goal even after her retirement.
With this reform, Canada consolidates its regulatory framework for potato genetic improvement, promoting a more favorable environment for innovation, investment and competitive development of the national agricultural sector.
Fuente: fruittoday.com
