Secan, Alliance Seed Reach Largest PBR Settlement in Canada

Alliance Seed and SeCan announced Wednesday the settlement of a joint Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) case between Alliance Seed, SeCan and one other seed distributor versus a large farming operation in southern Alberta. The companies agreed not to name the specific operation.

 

The settlement relates to unauthorized advertisements and sales of PBR protected barley and wheat varieties.

 

The parties have agreed to a cash settlement of $737,597 compensation for royalties, legal and investigative costs, and a declaration there will be no additional unauthorized sales.

 

“We are pleased to finally put this one to rest – it has been in the works for five years and covers sales spanning six seasons,” said Todd Hyra, Secan's Business Manager for Western Canada.

 

The settlement is the largest on a PBR case to date, as it is three times the previous highest PBR settlement.

 

“It is critical that everyone in the value chain is aware of the rules – under PBR ‘91 not only the seller is liable for damages, but the customer and the processor – essentially everyone who played a part in the infringement”, added Jim Bagshaw, General Manager of Alliance Seed. “If a variety is protected by PBR it is protected, whether you call it common seed or if you call it by the variety name.”

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.