Hybrid seed companies favour licensing for plant breeders

Monsanto, Mahyco and others engaged in agri research fear a major hurdle to fresh investment

Hybrid seed manufacturers have opposed the decision of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA) to dispense with the requirement of the no-objection certificate (NoC) from the trait developer for breeding Bt cotton varieties with genetically modified (GM) traits.
 
Companies such as Monsanto, Mahyco, and others engaged in agricultural research fear a major hurdle to fresh investment in agricultural research, especially in India, when the PPVFRA dispenses with the requirement of licences from the technology provider. This means companies engaged in primary research on patented seed varieties would no longer require to license to the secondary