b'A look at seed industry developments around the globe.Seeds Canada was votedSTATUS CANADA ahead, the CSGA will buildmotion for the adoption of the no by CSGA, Ghana looksAfter it voted no to a pro- upon the work that it did asresolution which was ably sup-posal back in August whichpart of the original Seedsported by the Minority Leader to establish plant breederswould have seen it mergeCanada amalgamationand the Member of Parliament rights when it comes towith the seed industrys otherproposal. (MP) for Tamale South Hon. new varieties. associations to form a singleIts not work thats beenHaruna Iddrisu.national group called Seedslostits work that we canThe Bill was laid in the Canada, the Canadian Seedbuild on and continue to growHouse on Oct. 9 by the Growers Association (CSGA)from with the strong supportAttorney-General in accord-will have a new target operat- that was shown by an unprec- ance with Article 106 of the ing model ready to presentedented number of seed1992 Constitution and referred to its members next year asgrowers in August. Havingby the Rt. Hon. Speaker it moves forward as a stan- 751 members take an activeProf. Michael Oquaye to the dalone entity. part in the organization wasCommittee on Constitutional, According to CSGAcertainly a positive comingLegal and Parliamentary Affairs Past-President Jonathanout of it, Nyborg adds, refer- for consideration and report Nyborg, the CSGA nationalencing the number of CSGApursuant to Order 179 of the board views the results of themembers who voted on theStanding Orders of the House.August no vote as a voteamalgamation proposal. A brief background infor-of confidence in CSGA as anThe new revamped formmation on the Bill as presented organization. Nyborg saysof Seeds Canada that does notto the House indicated Ghana members clearly want to seeinclude the CSGA as an amal- as a party to the World Trade CSGA continue as its owngamating partner is putting an(WTO) Agreement on Trade organization. emphasis on welcoming seedand Related Aspects of A Seeds Canada merger isgrowers into the fold, ChurkoIntellectual Property Rights still in the works with partici- noted. The proposed inaugu- (TRIPS).pation of the Canadian Seedral board of Seeds CanadaThis international agree-Trade Association (CSTA),included several members ofment which resulted from the Canadian Seed Institute (CSI),the seed grower communityUruguay Rounds and became Canadian Plant Technologyincluding Quentin Martin ofeffective on 1st January 1995 Agency (CPTA), and theOntarios Cribit Seeds and Ericset out the minimum stand-Commercial Seed AnalystsMcLean, a former president ofards for regulation by state Association of Canadathe Manitoba Seed Growersparties to protect different (CSAAC). Voting amongAssociation. forms of intellectual property.those groups is ongoing andThe country in her quest it will be known in Decemberto harness the intellectual whether the Seeds CanadaSTATUS GHANA capacities of the citizenry in amalgamation is successful. The Plant Variety Protectioncompliance with her interna-We envision this as aBill, 2020 which seeks to estab- tional obligations has enacted a chance for CSGA to continuelish a legal framework to pro- number of intellectual prop-to modernize and renewtect the rights of breeders oferty laws in the past decades itself. The national boardnew varieties of plants or plantincluding the Patents Act 2003 has two urgent priorities groupings and to promote(Act 657), the Geographical modernizing and renewingthe breeding of new varietiesIndications Act 2003 (Act 659), itself but then also work- of plants in Ghana has beenthe Industrial Designs Act 2003 ing with the CFIA and thepassed into law Parliament(Act 660), the Trademarks Act industry on Seed Regulatoryafter the Third Reading. 2004 (Act 664), the Layout-Modernization which is nowAttorney-General andDesigns (Topographies) of beginning to ramp up prettyMinister for Justice Hon. GloriaIntegrated Circuits Act 2004 heavily, he says. Afua Akuffo on Wednesday(Act 667) and the Copyright Nyborg says as it movesNovember 04 moved theAct 2005 (Act 690).66/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2021'