Seed royalty revisions
Seed royalty revisions
GROWERS can look forward to lower royalties on some farm-saved seed this autumn, particularly where payments are made on the basis of the area sown not tonnage processed.
The cuts to payments made direct to the British Society of Plant Breeders on the area sown are the result of a new formula agreed with the NFU to better reflect the lower seed rates now in use, says the society.
"This new agreement reflects the genuine, industry-wide commitment to ensuring the system is realistic and fair to all parties," says BSPB chief executive Roger Turner.
The move ensures the formula to calculate rates remains up to date and protects the right of farmers to use FSS, adds NFU seeds chairman Ian Leonard.
However, farm savers of peas and spring barley face sharp hikes in direct royalty payments due on the area basis (see table). The rate payable through mobiles on processed farm-saved rapeseed has also risen 6%. *
FSS ROYALTY
£/ha % change £/tonne % change
Wheat 5.39 -3 30.60 –
Winter barley 4.57 -7 26.70 -3
Spring barley 6.39 +11 33.67 –
Oats 3.36 -27 22.05 -14
Peas 6.10 +19 26.18 +7
Beans 5.60 -19 31.34 -10
Oilseed rape 8.07 -10 1440.00 +6
Linseed 7.60 – 146.32 –
Triticale 7.49 – 44.03 –