The Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA) have welcomed recent changes to Canada’s Plant Breeders’ Rights legislation, which extend protection for potatoes from 20 years to 25 years.

Announced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency with support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the regulatory update also introduces measures designed to streamline administrative processes.

The PGA described the extension as a meaningful development for Canada’s potato industry, reflecting the long timelines and investment required to breed, test and commercialize new potato varieties.

Potato breeding presents distinct challenges compared with many other crops, as seed potatoes must be multiplied over multiple years and rigorously evaluated before reaching commercial scale. Under the previous 20-year framework, breeders had a narrower period to recover research and development investment once varieties entered the market.

By extending protection to 25 years, the revised legislation is expected to improve the commercial incentive for breeders while potentially increasing competition and expanding access to new varieties for growers.

“These changes will help Alberta growers access better varieties adapting to changing growing conditions with increased disease resistance and marketable yield,” said Jake Hoogland of Hoogland Farms.

“This is an important step in keeping my farm competitive and sustainable for the future.”

The PGA said the longer protection period should help support innovation while improving growers’ access to varieties that can better respond to disease pressures, market demands and evolving production conditions.