BSPB
THE BRITISH SOCIETY OF PLANT BREEDERS LIMITED
WOOLPACK CHAMBERS-MARKET STREET-ELY-CAMBRIDGE CB7 AND
TELEPHONE: (01353) 653200-FAX: (01353) 661 156 E-MAIL:
enquiries@bspb.co.uk
Website: www.bspb.co.uk
2 August 2004
Linda Saunderson
Head of Policy & Co-ordination Unit Agricultural & Biological Research Group SEERAD
Pentland House 47 Robb's Loan Edinburgh EH141TY
Dear Ms Saunderson
SEERAD Research Strategy Review Consultation on draft Research Strategy
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the ABRG draft research strategy. These
general comments are the view of the British Society of Plant Breeders; individual member
companies may contact you directly with their own views on specific research priorities.
We welcome SEERAD's intention to "exploit novelty in genetic resources to address key
issues of concern in crop science and to deliver outputs which enable successful Scottish
crop production in a changing environment." We also welcome the decisions to increase
knowledge transfer activity, engage with end users and establish mechanisms for
commercialisation. There is however, a serious consideration to be made in trying to link
these two aims, if we assume rightly that you intend the existing commercial plant breeding
industry to be the route to market for the work you will fund in plant genetics and crop
science, (as it is for some of the existing SCRI programme).
Plant breeding is an expensive, risky and long-term business. It is not an attractive option for
investors currently. The returns from royalties are small and fluctuate significantly and
unpredictably depending on success in the market place at any one time. Winners have to
pay for losers and the only source of income for the plant breeder to support this breeding
programme is from royalties on certified seed and the remuneration payable on farm saved
seed. The total income to UK plant breeding has been declining in real terms for the last 5
years.
There are a number of contributory factors:
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a 20% drop in the volume of certified seed sales;
lower seeding rates;
farmers increasingly choosing farm saved seed over certified;
evasion of farm saved seed payments by around £2-3M/pa;
a significant problem with the illegal sale of uncertified seed.
THE BRITISH SOCIETY OF PLANT BREEDERS LTD. REGISTERED IN ENGLAND NO 87681 1 REGISTERED
OFFICE: WOOLPACK CHAMBERS, MARKET STREET, ELY, CAMBRIDGE CB7 4ND
2
Linda Saunderson 2 August 2004
The current legislative framework is unhelpful to the holder of plant variety rights in allowing
him to police and enforce his intellectual property rights and collect the remuneration which
is legitimately due to him. BSPB has discussed this and the issue of illegal seed sales and
production with both Defra and SEERAD but remains disappointed at the level of support
that both Departments have been able to offer.
So, we have a frustrating situation. SEERAD, Defra (and BBSRC) all have research
strategies in which they propose more spend in areas relating to crop science and all want to
see this spend exploited to the benefit of UK food and farming. At the same time, the
regulators from different parts of the same Government machine are unwilling or unable to
do what is necessary to help ensure that there continues to be a viable commercial plant
breeding activity in the UK to achieve this. We have asked the Government for a review of
the regulatory framework to help address this. There has been no positive response to date
but we will continue to ask and urge SEERAD to give this serious consideration when you
are thinking about how you are going to deliver this strategy.
Finally, BSPB also welcomes SEERAD's decision to establish a strategic advisory panel. We
hope that you will include appropriate industrial representation to help guide and advise, and
in particular to help SEERAD to meet its objectives for the new programmes which relate to
knowledge transfer and the commercialisation of research.
We are content for these comments to be made publicly available.
Yours sincerely
(Penny Maplestone
Dr P Maplestone Operations Manager
enc