Canada has announced that it has ratified the UPOV '91 treaty (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants) to improve the plant variety protection system, finalizing one of the key measures of the recently-passed Agricultural Growth Act.

With the ratification of UPOV '91, plant breeders have more protection and farmers have better access to a wider variety of seeds.

"Our Government has delivered on our longstanding commitment to strengthen plant breeders' rights by adopting and implementing UPOV'91," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "Stronger intellectual property rights have proven to provide greater incentives to increase investment in research and development for Canada's crop sector, giving our farmers greater access to the newest crop varieties."

UPOV '91 encourages increased investment in plant breeding and brings Canada in line with trading partners, allowing Canadian farmers to be more competitive in the global market place.

The total economic impact of the seed industry in Canada is estimated at $5.61 billion.