What’s more, PBRs aren’t exactly new. They’ve been around for many years and I’ve attended more than one conference where PBRs were on the agenda.
Many new fruit varieties introduced in recent years have been subject to PBRs. If you want to plant such trees you have to register with the appropriate grower group and buy the trees from a nursery approved by it. The product name is registered as a trademark and strict production guidelines must be followed.
The Plant Breeders’ Rights Act helps to protect the developers, as it can take them many years to recover their substantial investment.
A few examples of registered trademarks that spring to mind are
- Pink Lady apples,
- Superior Seedless grapes and
- Black Diamond plums.
Included in the approval to grow these varieties is a marketing plan and some developers have granted selected retailers exclusive rights to sell their products.
These agreements also include promotions supported by both parties. The overseas market – UK/Europe – is where the big business lies and they all target it with sophisticated marketing programmes.
All these wonderful developments take time and money. Breeding new varieties requires many years and a fair share of failures before the name is registered and the variety released for propagation.
The marketing side requires research and finding the right partners. Then a marketing plan has to be devised with plenty of money thrown in to enable it to achieve its objectives.
Growers who apply to grow these crops are checked to ensure they’re capable of consistently producing top-class fruit. They must follow a production protocol and comply with the requirements of the marketing plan.
They receive technical support and are kept up to date on any new developments in that area.
If you’re in the fresh-produce business in whatever form, knowing about PBRs is essential. And if you’re a consumer, try these “trademarked crops” – they’re very good.
