About the Accelerated Release Program

Impatient for new potato varieties?

Want to see promising new selections in the product pipeline, years before their traditional registered release? In today's competitive marketplace the edge goes to those who stay ahead of the competition. Through the Accelerated Release Program, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) offers potato industry entrepreneurs of every size an opportunity to evaluate first-hand, in their own field, the front runners coming out of early selection trials.

How it works:

The Accelerated Release Program is a two-phase process to fast track the release of promising potato selections developed at the Fredericton and Lethbridge Research and Development Centres of AAFC.

In phase one, 10-15 new selections are offered to industry each February for 2 years of non-exclusive field testing. These early favourites are typically at year 6 of a testing and selection program that traditionally took about 12 years. For a fee of $100 per selection, plus applicable taxes, participants receive a limited quantity of breeder's selection seed and non-exclusive rights to conduct their own field performance and quality evaluation trials for 2 years.

In phase two, following the non-exclusive testing, AAFC invites companies to submit cash bids to procure a further three-year period of exclusive testing.

At the end of this testing, or sooner at the request of the company, an eight-year, renewable license to commercialize a selection may be negotiated.

"What you are evaluating"

Selections released under the Accelerated Release Program have cleared six years of field and laboratory selection and are backed by data from preliminary disease and performance evaluation trials.

Our research team, representing a variety of scientific disciplines, works closely with producers, packers, French fry and chip processors and exporters to develop potato varieties that are better suited to Canadian production and which meet industry and consumer requirements for quality and flavour.

Using a combination of traditional breeding techniques and new and emerging technologies, our team releases 10 to 15 new selections annually that have been selected from among 120,000.

Accelerated Release Program - Program Elements

  • Request a Material Transfer Agreement for the selections that interest you.
    • Non-exclusive Field and Processing Trials (2 years). Submit $100 fee per selection plus applicable taxes
  • Submit Selection Specific Cash Bid.
    • Further exclusive Testing, (1-3 years).
  • Negotiate License Agreement.
    • Variety Registration and Protection.
    • Commercialization

For further information:

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