They have been lobbying the Government for several years to update old laws.
The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment has completed two rounds of consultation the plant breeding industry as part of the review of the Plant Variety Rights Act.
The act gives intellectual property rights to plant breeders who develop new and improved varieties.
Last week officials visited breeding facilities at Plant and Food Research at Lincoln and Ambrosia Nurseries in Christchurch.
Leading the Plant Breeding and Research Association in its push for law reform, Thomas Chin said discussions centred key areas including farm-saved seed and enforcement of plant variety rights.
“In general, I am hopeful that the review process that has started helps bring about an update of our plant laws to protect new, high-quality, high-performing seed products.
“We will continue to let policymakers know that it is vital for plant breeding innovation that a revised law is aligned with our international obligations and consistent with our main trading partners,” Chin said.
For NZ’s pastoral, arable, turf and horticulture sectors there was a need for ongoing innovation and research by plant breeders in areas such as disease or pest resistance and to increase productivity.
“It is critical that there are new discoveries and access to overseas varieties for farmers to grow and that the intellectual property around these is protected to incentivise new investment and introduction into NZ.”
NZ had signed but not ratified a global seed convention.
It committed to implementing the convention in the Trans Pacific Partnership so that had to be the starting point for reform.
“We would like to see continued current arrangements enabling farmers to save seed for their own private and non-commercial use and the establishment of a fair system to collect royalties at different points along the value chain for protected varieties of seed.”
Royalties helped cover some of the cost for variety development, which took about 10 years and $1 milllion to create a new cultivar.
“As plant breeders we will continue to communicate the value of updated legislation that is on a par with our main trading partners and the need for ongoing investments in seed research and access.”
