b'VIEWPOINTSThe Nuts and Bolts of the VUAWhat is the VUA and how exactly will it affect the crops you plant in your fields?Editors note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.ASG: What are the different varieties involved in the pilot TODD HYRA, business managerprogram?Western Canada for SeCan, gives AlbertaTH: We had a soybean, a Round Up Seed Guide readers an in-depth lookReady soybean, that will be available at the Variety Use Agreement (VUA)for next year Cantera had two wheat which will see farmers pay a royalty tovarieties there was reasonable pickup plant breeders for use of farm-savedof both those varieties and farmers seem seed. Hyra has worked for decades into understand what was being done. And the seed industry and helped developthere were two pea varieties, forage pea the VUA. With a few crop varieties undervarieties, that were added kind of late.the VUA banner out in fields as of theWere still working with our plant 2020 growing season, Hyra is workingbreeding partners on identifying future to gather feedback on the program andvarieties. The products must show value explain how it can help plant breedingto farmers as this is what pushes plant in Canada. breeders to deliver improvements. In the VUA farmers show support for crop ASG: How do you keep track ofTodd Hyra, SeCans buiness manager Westernbreeding programs by buying specific who is using farm-saved seed? Canada. Photo: SeCanvarieties from that program.TH: Were in the process of building a web-based system, an app, that wouldASG: Are there any similar allow an electronic agreement to beprograms to this in other signed at the time of the original seedcountries?purchase. If the farmer likes the varietyThe VUA is flexible,TH: Yes, actually, there are a number and chooses to use farm-saved seed,so the rate canof other countriesmost developed they would declare how many acreschange dependingcountries have some system of value are used each year, or they could justcapture. The most similar to this would repurchase certified seed. on what the needsbe what is done in the Netherlands, ASG: So, its kind of a trust system? of the breeder orsimilar to whats done in the UK, in terms of a farm save royalty most TH: So, there is a contract, its beyondthe product offers.countries around the world have just pure trust there would be someIt works across allsomething based on the seed being audits and some tracking to ensureplanted. The other version being compliance as well. As weve talked toregions of Canada,something on the grain being harvested. farmers over the last couple of years, oneacross all crops.Australia has an endpoint royalty where of the pieces that they say is, Im finetheres a royalty taken at the time of signing a contract. But I want to makeharvest.sure that if Im paying, everybodysWe looked at models from around paying. And so thats part of the justthe world as we were considering other ensuring that everybodys paying theiroptions. And the VUA is flexible, so the way along. rate can change depending on what 18seed.ab.ca'