Variety Use Agreement (VUA)

What is the Variety Use Agreement (VUA)?

The Variety Use Agreement (VUA) platform is a web-based tool used to support and increase plant breeding investment and innovation by facilitating royalty collection in a cost effective manner. It is built on the principles of value, transparency and choice for producers. The VUA applies to specific seed varieties as determined by plant breeders and their distributors. 

How does it work?

When producers purchase a VUA variety and divert some of that grain at harvest for seed use and plant it the following spring, they will be invoiced a ‘Variety Use Fee’ for use of the variety. This fee (which is set at the time of certified seed purchase) will be invoiced to the producer every year that the farm saved seed of the VUA variety is grown. 

Questions?

Click on the button below to view our frequently asked questions. If your question is not covered, please contact Intellectual Property Manager, Mel Reekie at mreekie@seeds-canada.ca

Varieties

Click through the menu below to view varieties and their maximum prices. The maximum reflects the maximum VUA fees that will be charged to a producer who is using these varieties as farm-saved seed on their own farms.

Variety: Esma
Breeder: Ackermann Saatzucht GmbH & Co. KG, Irlbach, Germany
Distributor: SeCan

Maximum VUA rate: $2:00 per acre

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Variety: KWS Kellie
Breeder: KWS LOCHOW GMBH, Germany
Distributor: SeCan

Maximum VUA rate: $2:00 per acre

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Variety: RGT Planet
Distributor: SeCan

Maximum VUA rate: $3:00 per acre

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Variety: SU Ruzena (Winter Barley)

Breeder: Ackermann Saatzucht GmbH & Co. KG, Irlbach, Germany

Distributor: SeCan

Maximum VUA rate: $7.00 per acre (Eastern Canada)

Peas

Variety: DL Delicious
Breeder: DL Seeds
Distributor: FP Genetics

Maximum VUA rate: $2.00 per acre

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Variety: DL Goldeye
Breeder: DL Seeds
Distributor: Riddell Seed Company

Maximum VUA rate: $2.00 per acre

Fababean

Variety: DL Tesoro
Breeder: DL Seeds
Distributor: Riddell Seed Company

Maximum VUA rate: $2:00 per acre

Pinto

Distributor: Canterra Seeds
Variety: ND Palomino 

Maximum VUA rate: $5:00 per acre

Variety: ND17009GT

Breeder: North Dakota State University
Distributor: SeCan

Maximum VUA rate: $11.00 per acre

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Variety:  ND21008GT20
Distributor: SeCan

Maximum VUA rate: $11/acre

Variety: CS Daybreak (CWRS)
Breeder: Limagrain Cereals Research Canada
Distributor: Canterra Seeds

Maximum VUA rate: $2.00 per acre

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Variety: CS Accelerate (CPSR)
Breeder: Limagrain Cereals Research Canada
Distributor: Canterra Seeds

Maximum VUA rate: $2:00 per acre

Variety: AAC Reid

Maximum VUA rate: $5.00 per acre