The amendments to the Protection of New Plant Varieties Act will strengthen rights for plant breeders, encourage agricultural innovation, and give farmers greater access to improved, climate-resilient crops with export potential.
Minister of Land and Legal Affairs and Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Saddam Hosein piloted the Protection of New Plant Varieties (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Senate on Friday.
The Bill seeks to extend protection to all plant species and will provide stronger rights for plant breeders, fostering more innovation in agriculture and providing better export opportunities.
“When we look at the current framework, Mr President, the protection in the Parent Act currently applies only to a specific plant family, which is listed in the schedule to the Act, such as cocoa, orchids, heliconia, I know some of my friends opposite might be very happy to hear that, that heliconia is protected, the pineapple family, pigeon peas, and so on.”
For local farmers, the amendments provide greater access to climate-resilient crops.
Championed by Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram, the move is in line with some of the initiatives being introduced by his Ministry, including its recent black-eyed bean pilot project to reduce the importation of the crop.
“When black eye peas normally will take 90 days to mature, the premium variety that was provided, we were able to harvest in 65 days. The yield that normally will produce 1,500 pounds per acre, we got close to 2,500 pounds from our pilot project. That is what the new plant varieties may offer.”
Minister Hosein said the amendments will strengthen protection for Trinidad and Tobago’s improved cocoa varieties, boosting their export potential.
“We have been able, through the IPO office and so on, and the technical teams at the University of the West Indies, the Cocoa Development Board, and so on, eleven various varieties of the cocoa, the Trinitario cocoa, was in fact examined by the TT IPO office, and I’m proud to say eight of those were granted.”
The amendments were developed following consultations with stakeholders such as CARDI and international intellectual property organisations, including the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, UPOV.
If passed, the Bill will boost agricultural productivity and exports while allowing farmers and researchers to develop and commercialise improved plant varieties.