The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has chastised the British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) for attempting to impose a system for collecting payments for farm-saved seed without consulting the union.

Graham Nichols, NFU potatoes committee chairman, said: 'We have been negotiating with the BSPB to introduce a fair and agreed system for the collection of royalties on potato farm-saved seed. But the BSPB has now gone ahead to impose its own system without our agreement or support, and is assembling a database of producers' details.' The list of potato varieties eligible for farm-saved-seed payments is to be extended to 40 from next year. Payments are calculated according to the area sown and variety rates once potato growers have completed declaration forms issued by the BSPB.

The NFU states it did not agree to the new payment rates. And it believes that there is no legal justification for the BSPB to ask growers if they have planted farm-saved seed of varieties not listed on the form, or the number of hectares the grower has planted with certified seed.

The organisation also advises growers to ask the BSPB what other personal information it holds and from where that information was obtained. NFU members can call NFU Call First on 0870 845 8458.

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