Pakistan: Senate clears plant breeders’ bill
The new law will encourage plant breeders and seed organisations of both public and private sectors to invest in research and plant breeding; development of superior varieties of field, vegetable and ornamental crops; and facilitate access to protected foreign varieties and new technologies.
With the adoption of the bill by both houses of parliament, it will become Plant Breeders’ Rights Act of 2016 after the president’s assent, which is largely a formality.
Establishment of a viable seed industry is essential to the food security in Pakistan to ensure the availability of high-quality seeds and planting material to the farmers. It is necessary to make provisions for developing the breeding of new plant varieties, protecting the rights of their breeders and providing exemptions to them.
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