First pay day coming for Tri-State research from Potato Variety Management Institute

Farm and Ranch August 21, 2009 For the first time since its creation in 2005, the Potato Variety Management Institute will be writing a check to the Tri-State potato breeding program.

The potato commission’s of Washington, Oregon and Idaho established the non-profit PVMI, to license and collect royalties on new varieties from the Tri-State program, as well as promote and market them, with the revenue going back to benefit research.

There were start up costs the first several years but PVMI executive director Jeanne Debons says this year the board of directors decided to pay out 50-thousand dollars, a conservative amount, so there would be a reserve to balance out any revenue fluctuations.

Debons: “So far we have collected over $500-thousand dollars in licenses and royalty fees. The Tri-State growers we have collected about 190 of that. Outside the Tri-State is 155 and outside the U.S. about 160. And that breaks down closely to thirds. An important part of this is that two-thirds of it is coming from outside the Tri-State. That is money that wouldn‘t have been coming back to this program, the breeding program, unless this system was set up.”

Debons says the program should takeoff as the new varieties prove themselves in the marketplace.

PVMI maintains a website;

www.pvmi.org

Oh, and that 50-thousand dollar check? It should be going out in October.