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GARDENA 



ALFALFA SEED GROWERS 



ASSOCIATION, INC. 



TOUCHET, WA 99360 



May 19, 1994 



Honorable Charles W. Stenholm, Chairman 

 Subcommittee on Department Operations and Nutrition 

 Room 1301, Longworth House Office Building 

 Washington, D.C. 20515 



Re: HR 2927 



Plant Variety Protection Act Amendments of 1993 



Dear Congressman Stenholm: 



Our grower members have watched carefully the development of the Plant Variety 

 Protection Act Amendments of 1993, namely S.1406 and H.R. 2927. We understand 

 your committee will be working H.R 2927 on Tuesday, May 24th and have invited 

 written comments and statements from the seed industry. 



The Gardena Alfalfa Seed Growers concur with the objectives of H.R 2927 as put 

 forth by the American Seed Trade Association. Since it is not possible to accept the 

 committee's invivation to testify, we have asked Mr. Les demons, President of 

 Washington Seed Council, to represent our position. 



We endorse the inclusion of the following statement as a part of H.R. 2927: 



H.R. 2927 is important to the plant breeding community, the seed industry, 

 and most importantly, American agriculture. 



H.R. 2927 reinforces the free flow of germplasm, an essential component 

 to genetic diversity. 



H.R 2927 will specifically insure: (1) first generation hybrids are protected 

 (2) protection is extended to 20 years (3) protection to harvested plant parts is 

 included (4) a farmer's ability to save protected varieties for use on their own 

 holdings (5) a definition of the concept of "essentially derived". 



We understand that currently H.R. 2927 does not reflect changes agreed to by the 



Senate. We endorse the following and urge they become a part of H.R. 2927: 



(1) extending protection to potatoes and tubers (2) clarifying the ability to condition 



legitimate farm saved seed (3) VNS labelling allowance for grasses, alfalfa and 



clover. 



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