Thailand to review application for protection of four holy basil varieties — Bangkok Post

Thailand’s Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, has ordered a review of CPRAM Co Ltd’s application for protection of four holy basil varieties. The decision was made amid concerns that granting such protection could affect farmers’ rights and traditional practices of cultivating the plant.

Application review

The Department of Agriculture has been given seven days to review the application and determine whether the registration process complied with the law, Bangkok Post reports. Officials were also instructed to compare the four varieties in the application with existing local holy basil varieties and government research materials to determine whether they have similar characteristics.

The review must also assess whether protection of the varieties could restrict farmers’ ability to grow and sell traditional varieties of the plant. Holy basil is widely used in Thai cuisine, and the ministry acknowledged public concerns about the application.

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Farmers’ rights

The ministry’s permanent secretary, Rapibhat Chandarasrivongs, said farmers may continue to grow, propagate and sell local holy basil varieties, including more than 300 traditional varieties found in Thailand. According to him, vendors, food establishments and consumers may also buy, sell and use basil leaves for cooking without infringing plant variety protection rights.

The ministry supports research and development of new plant varieties, but such efforts must comply with the law and respect the rights of farmers and independent breeders. The department is preparing to explain to the public the details of the registration procedure and the results of the review.