b'REGULATORYKEEPING YOU INFORMED OF LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY CHANGES IN EUROPE AND ABROAD FROM LAWSUITS TO APPROVALS TO OTHER REGULATORY ISSUES AFFECTING YOUR BUSINESS.NATIONALINTERNATIONALSOLYNTA GRANTED U.S. PATENT FOR HYBRID TRUE POTATO SEEDASTA PRAISES PASSAGE OF USMCADEVELOPMENT American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) president & CEO The Netherlands-based Solynta, a breeder of hybrid potato cul- Andy LaVigne had this to say regarding passage of the U.S.-tivars produced from true potato seed, announced the grantMexico-Canada Agreement on trade:of U.S. Patent Serial No. 10,524,436 entitled Hybrid PotatoThe passage of USMCA is great news for the American seed Breeding. The patent claims Solyntas methods of producingindustry and agriculture as a whole. Seed is a global industry, potato inbreds and hybrids that are propagated from true seed. with U.S. exports totaling $1.9 billion in 2018. Seed exports to Hybrid True Potato Seed (HTPS) has many advantagesthe U.S. largest marketsMexico and Canadacombined for over the current potato supply chain practice of using last yearsa total of $630 million.potato tubers as starting material. By using HTPS farmers needThe USMCA includes the seed industrys core priorities for only 25 grams of HTPS compared to 2,500 kilograms of potatotrade. Specifically, the agreement: tubers to plant a hectare of land. HTPS speeds new cultivars Provides stronger support for agricultural biotechnologyto market as each plant can produce 5,000 seeds per season Recognizes the importance of evolving plant breeding compared to the production of only 10 new seed tubers per plantmethods like gene editingper season using the current system, the company said. ThisStrengthens science-based sanitary and phytosanitary increases phytosanitary security within the potato supply chainregulationsby producing seed free of diseases that are an ongoing issue forProvides strong intellectual property protections, includ-the current potato supply chain. ing a requirement for the adoption of UPOV 91 by the The innovation of HTPS breeding has many advantagesagreement participating countries.over current the potato selection process. Using hybrid breedingTrade is absolutely essential for the livelihood of American potato crop improvement becomes more predictable allowing forfarmers and the U.S. economy at large, especially when we look at quick insertion of naturally occurring traits including drought,our neighbours to the north and the south. The USMCA expands pest and disease resistances. This in turn enables the reduction ofmarket opportunities with our biggest trading partners.pesticide use and increases the overall sustainability of the crop.BOOSTING BT IN KENYAITALIAN FARMER CONVICTED FOR CULTIVATION OF PROTECTEDThe commercial farming of Bt cotton in Kenya is set to ensure TOMATO PLANTS farmers earn more from the crop through increased production.The Court of Ragusa sentenced Salvatore Dezio, owner of a farmIt will also boost the manufacturing pillar of the Big 4 in Vittoria, in the province of Ragusa, Italy, for cultivating a PBR- Agenda where Kenya seeks to establish itself as a regional leader protected tomato variety without the required authorization. Ain textile and apparel production.years imprisonment and a 15,000 fine for having illegally repro- The performance trial was done after an environmental duced tomato plants of a variety protected by Plant Breedersrelease approval by the National Bio-safety Authority (NBA) Rights (PBR) was handed down. This is the first ruling of itsin 2016, based on Environmental Impact Assessment clearance type in Italy. certificate and licence for open field trials issued in 2018.The sentence creates a significant precedent in the seedThe progress is a major breakthrough for Kenya, which lags sector, because it gives criminal significance to the widespreadbehind other African countries in deployment of Bt technology technique of reproducing plants covered by Plant Breedersdespite enormous knowledge in plant breeding for insect-resist-Rights with cuttings or stubs of plants, a practice which canance cotton and many crops including maize.damage the protected rights of the owners of the varieties, underBt technology has been used to mitigate effects of pests and which each seed purchased must correspond to only one plant. diseases, drought stress and other challenges facing farmers We are very satisfied with the ruling, explains Casper vanglobally with broader advantage of reduced production costs, Kempen, managing director of the Anti-Infringement Bureau forimproved crop quality and environmental protection from use Intellectual Property Rights on Plant Material (AIB). This ver- of excessive pesticides through chemical sprays.dict is important because it ensures level playing field for plant raisers and growers, preventing unfair competition between them.Source: Anti-Infringement Bureau for Intellectual Property Rights on Plant MaterialEUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEAN SEED I 41'