Extension of patents to nursery business sought

Our Commodities Bureau in Hyderabad

IN a bid to protect ornamental plant materials, the Indian nurserymen demanded extension of patent laws to the nursery business also. “There is a need for formulating patent laws supporting the efforts of innovative nurserymen who are developing newer varieties”, Mr T Janakiram, senior scientist of Indian Institute of Horticulture Research. Patenting laws for nurseries play a vital role in the area of global trade marketing. Most of the imported materials are patented and the importers do not have any right to multiply and sell them to others without any written permission from the exporter. This effort will help the country to become a major source for a wide range of plant materials. In most of the nurseries, a new variety is either evolved systematically or accidently. Since there is no patenting in the country, most of the material has remained unnamed or unattended which later finds way to other countries in the form of a potential material, Mr Janakiram said.

With a wide range of new crop materials found abundant in India, these plants with their botanical name, places abundantly found, the physical structure describing the parts of the plant, are the core issues to be addresses in front of the patent body, says APEDA official. This will improve the Indian floriculture industry as well the ornamental plants exported to other countries, said the official.