rights for sexually reproduced plants, virtually ah of our present 

 food crops with the exception of potatoes. The Plant Variety 

 Protection Act has provided the incentive to make tremendous 

 strides in improving such plants as corn, wheat and soy. This 

 same incentive should exist for potatoes. 



Potatoes are a significant food crop in the United States and 

 throughout the world. In the United States, potatoes are the 

 leading vegetable crop in terms of acreage and farm value, with 

 more than 1.3 million acres planted in 1993, yielding nearly 42 

 billion pounds, and over $2.6 billion in sales. Worldwide, nearly 

 600 billion pounds are produced annually. 



Development of new plant varieties is important. Improved 

 varieties of potatoes can result in economic and quality benefits to 



