Dear Hamish,
Without knowing anyone's agenda on this forum, I apologise for making broad views on such topics. I do have experience in seeing that botanic gardens can become greedy, or lending samples for pollen, seed and propagation material with due reply for donations, contributions and so forth.
While some institutions are the recipents for confiscated plant material, many do not have the necessary funds to support such specific culture. But do receive them without worry for monies for their survival. If so, what has happened to the many confiscated material such as N. rajah, lowii, edwardsiana, macrophylla, Trusmardiensis, clipeata, and so on previoulsy confiscated? Whether these organizations have the funds to maintain these specimens or further develop a breeding program with them or in cooperation with other botanical institutions this person has not seen the fruits of these endeavors yet,...please correct me if any institutions has facilitated in making any species previously unavailable, now available by either seed propagated, tc propagated or cutting released material from its own stock on hand.
As for monopolies and competition, I feel that a period of time should be implemented for propagation and distribution whether for sole distribution or for further release by growers from said propagators. This ensures that a specific target plant gets the attention it needs to be released and at the same time, allows cost and production by a company to recoup costs and expenses it has incurred. In other words if a company wants to fund a program for propagation or release of a new species, the more power to them! They fund and spend their time which has a monetary return whether exaggerated or confined. We see this on an ongoing daily basis with new drugs, new inventions and anything different from the norm, makes each and every one of them monopolistic. But eventually prices do come down and more and more people get richer from the original's trials and errors.
Any way, I am going blindly into hot topics.
But I really enjoy this forum and I may come across as a nepenthes nazi (e-mail:
nepenthesnazi@yahoo.com) but all is good we all just want to make this honny more enjoyable and rewarding.
Michael