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BEFORE THE 



COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE 



SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS AND NUTRITION 



U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



HEARING ON H.R. 2927 

 PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION ACT AMENDMENTS 



WRITTEN STATEMENT OF THE FLORAL TRADE COUNCIL 



June 3, 1994 



I. INTRODUCTION 



These comments are submitted on behalf of the Floral Trade Council in response 

 to the announcement by Subcommittee Chairman, Charles Stenholm, D-Texas, of hearings 

 on Tuesday, May 24, 1994 concerning H.R. 2927 amending the Plant Variety Protection 

 Act ("PVPA"). The Floral Trade Council is a U.S. trade association, the majority of whose 

 members are domestic producers or wholesalers of fresh cut flowers in the United States, 

 and is located at 1 152 Haslett Road, Haslett, Michigan 48840 (telephone (517) 339-9765). 



On May 24, 1994, Kenneth C. Clayton, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of 

 Marketing and Inspection Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, submitted a statement 

 in these proceedings outlining the proposed amendments in H.R. 2927 and communicating 

 the agency's receptiveness to "other beneficial modifications to the PVPA," consistent with 

 the 1991 International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants ("UPOV"). In 

 response, the Floral Trade Council respectfully requests that Congress include two 

 additional provisions in H.R. 2927. First, the U.S. Trade Representative, in conjunction 

 with U.S. Department of Agriculture, should be instructed to issue a report reviewing 

 protection of U.S. breeders' rights in fresh cut flower exporting countries and comparing 

 royalty payments made by U.S. and foreign growers/exporters of fresh cut flowers. Second. 

 Congress should require country of origin marking on imported fresh cut flowers. "Hie 

 Floral Trade Council urges Congress to consider the following comments in finalizing its 

 legislation. 



82-169 0-94-5 



