21 



STATEMENT OF 



ROBERT F. SMITH 



BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON 



DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS AND NUTRITION 



MAY 24, 1992 



Mr. Chairman, thank you for calling this hearing today to take testimony regarding 

 HR 2927, the Plant Variety Protection Act Amendments of 1993. This legislation is an 

 important step towards fulfilling the obligation incurred by the United States as a result 

 of our participation in the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties. 



The development of new plant varieties is important to production agriculture. 

 Not only to increase production of agricultural commodities, but to develop other 

 qualities as well, such as pest and disease resistance. However, the development of these 

 new varieties is time-consuming and costly. 



The underlying concept of the International Convention for the Protection of New 

 Varieties and this enabling legislation is simple enough. It maintains that by granting the 

 owner of a variety the right to prevent unauthorized use or sale of the seed of that 

 variety, the owner will have the opportunity to recover the cost of development and 

 profit from their work. This profit then encourages the production of new varieties. 



I am particularly interested in three subjects with respect to this legislation. The 

 potato industry has expressed an interest in amending HR 2927 to include potatoes 

 within the patent protection offered by the Plant Variety Protection Act The potato is 



