Agriculture Minister Orders Review of Basil Variety Patents After Public Outcry

The case has sparked widespread criticism after a major private company collaborated with Kasetsart University's Kamphaeng Saen campus to research and develop four new basil varieties — Kaphrao Pa Kaew Juree 01, Kaew Juree 02, Kaew Juree 03, and Kaew Juree 04 — and then registered them with the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, seeking 12-year plant variety protection. The registration of these four basil varieties by the company became a hot topic of intense criticism from farmers, shop operators, and the general public who grow basil for their own consumption, all worrying that Thais would no longer be able to grow, eat, or sell basil as normal. In response to these concerns, the company that registered the protection issued a clarification, confirming that the registration covers only the four new varieties developed specifically for use as raw materials in the company's ready-to-eat food production, operating within its supply chain and a network of farmers encouraged to cultivate them. The company affirmed it does not intend to sell seeds and has not placed the common basil varieties that the public has long grown and consumed under its rights. Therefore, the traditional basil that Thais widely cultivate can still be planted, eaten, and sold as usual. This is the company's explanation for the registration and its non-involvement with traditional basil. Nevertheless, public criticism continues unabated, with some believing the explanation and others doubting it, prompting Agriculture Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who is directly involved, to issue a clarification. Mr. Suriya stated he will have the Department of Agriculture verify whether the variety protection registration was conducted correctly according to law, aiming to complete the review within one week. It is a positive step that the Agriculture Minister has ordered a clear and expedited investigation. Most importantly, the process must safeguard the rights and interests of farmers as well as villagers who grow basil for their own consumption. The investigation must be comprehensive, covering every aspect, and all doubts must be clarified transparently, because the criticism has now spread to the point where there are claims that intellectual property rights have been registered for all types of basil.