56 GERMINATION.CA MARCH 2018 Who said what? NORTH DAKOTA WARNS PRODUCERS THAT SELLING SEED INTO CANADA HAS RISKS CanadianfarmersorseedretailersoccasionallycontactNorthDakota seedretailersseekingseedvarietiesmarketedintheU.S.,butselling to Canadian entities could be illegal, the state government warns. “While the temptation of gaining access to a new market may seem appealing to the retailer, one must understand the intellectual prop- ertyrightsoftheownerbeforemakingthatsale,”saysSteveSebesta, North Dakota State Seed Department deputy commissioner. Mostvarietiesofthemajorcropsproducedandmarketedinthestate are protected by the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Act. This federal law gives variety owners the exclusive authority to determine who may produce and sell seed of their variety. Most variety owners also opt for additional protection by selecting the certified seed requirement (Title V) when they apply for protec- tion under PVP. ForpublicvarietiesprotectedbyPVPTitleV,authorizationtoproduce andsell seed generally is conferred throughthe purchase of an eligi- ble class of certified seed. For privately owned varieties, production andmarketingofseedusuallyisrestrictedtothecompany’slicensed partners. Sebestaadds:“Regardlessofwhoownsthevariety,publicorprivate, itisaninfringementofthevarietyowner’sintellectualpropertyrights to sell a variety outside the U.S. without authorization.” CANOLA SECTOR TO REAP BENEFITS OF SUPERCLUSTERS INITIATIVE The Canola Council of Canada welcomed the announcement by Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains that Protein Industries Canada (PIC) was selected as one of the five supercluster hubs to receive stimulus from the Canadian government.Thefivefinalistswillsharein$950millionunderthefederalprogramtofosterinnovationandjobgrowth.CanolaCounil chairDavidDzisiak,representingPICandDowAgroSciences,andCouncilpresidentJimEversonwerepresentfortheannouncement in Ottawa. “We are very excited for canola’s involvement in this pan-Prairie initiative to drive innovation in plant-based protein to help feed a growing world,” says Everson. “Innovation in canola protein will secure Canada’s place in the growing global plant-based protein market and create significant economic activity.” PIC is an industry-led alliance of over 120 private-sector companies, academic institutions and other stakeholders across Western Canada aimed at fully developing the potential of plant-based proteins from crops such as canola, pulses, grains, hemp and flax. PIC’s work will focus on improvements and opportunities in four areas: crop breeding, crop production, value-added processing and export development. PULSE SECTOR MAKES “REAL PROGRESS” IN INDIA Pulseswerehighontheagendaduringbilateraldiscussions between the government of Canada and India in February. The two countries released a joint statement committing to workcloselytogethertofinalizeanarrangementwithin2018 to enable the export of Canadian pulses to India free from pests of quarantine importance, with mutually acceptable technological protocols. ChrisChivilo,presidentandCEOofCanadianpulseproces- sor W.A. Grain & Pulse Solutions, participated in the CEO panel at the Prime Minister’s Roundtable. Chivilo, who is also a member of the Canadian Special Crops Association, addressed the issues of fumigation, exemption from changes to government policy that result in increased costs for cargo en route to India and the need for predict- ability and transparency in changes to government policy impacting pulses. “Thepulseindustrymaderealprogresstoday,”saidChivilo. “The joint statement issued after the meeting I attended is an important milestone in pulse trade relations between Canada and India. The prime ministers have recognized the importanceoffoodsecurityandscience-basedapproaches to plant protection policy. We will need to continue this collaboration and finalize solutions that will work for both Canada and India.”