Mr. Speaker, we recognize the importance of a farmer's privilege, which my colleague referred to, to save and replant seeds. The proposed regulatory amendment would help clarify this concept, and that is what we will do.
The proposed changes do not alter the right to save and reuse seeds, such as grains and legumes, which is a long-standing practice.
Farmers' privilege would not apply to crops such as hybrids, fruits, vegetables or ornamentals, which in many cases are propagated, or copied, through vegetative reproduction.
Indeed, it would be unfair for an orchard owner to grow hundreds of trees from cuttings taken from a single apple tree without compensating the breeder for the years they devoted to developing a new variety, which often takes 15 to 25 years. Nevertheless, our farmers will still have the option of purchasing plants that are not protected.