ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) is in the process of establishing the Plant Breeders’ Rights Registry at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) in Islamabad with a view to encourage the development of new plant varieties and protect the rights of the breeders.

The establishment of a viable seed industry being essential to the food security in Pakistan to ensure the availability of high quality seeds and planting materials to the farmers has been ensured by the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act of 2016 which has come into force.

The functions of the registry will be to facilitate protection of new plant varieties, issue certificates, ensure maintenance of the register of protected plant varieties and to promote the development of new varieties of plants and protect farmers and breeders’ rights.

The record of protected plant varieties will be kept and maintained by the Registry for Registration of all protected plant varieties in Pakistan.

For the purpose of storing the plant genetic material submitted by breeders for processing the case of protection of a plant variety, live samples of the seed and propagating material shall be deposited with the NARC’s Plant Genetic Resources Institute.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2017

Follow Dawn Business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.
Ceasefire, finally
Updated 26 Mar, 2024

Ceasefire, finally

Palestinian lives matter, and a generation of orphaned Gazan children will be looking to the world community to secure justice for them.
Afghan return
26 Mar, 2024

Afghan return

FOLLOWING a controversial first repatriation phase involving ‘illegal’ Afghan refugees last November, the...
Planes and plans
26 Mar, 2024

Planes and plans

FOR the past many years, PIA has been getting little by way of good press, mostly on account of internal...