Plant Propagation and Plant Variety Rights Act.

This Act regulates the registration of plant varieties, the entry of varieties in the Variety List, the grant of plant variety rights, and the production, packaging, marketing, and state supervision of seed, propagating material, and cultivating material. A variety is a plant grouping within a botanical taxon defined by the expression of characteristics resulting from a genotype or a combination of genotypes. Registration requires an application to the registrar for determining compliance with the requirements of distinctness, uniformity, stability, and an approved variety denomination.
Seed, propagating material, and cultivating material are divided into categories based on descent, origin, and quality, with categories and requirements established by the minister in charge of the policy sector. The Act provides for the marketing of small quantities of seed and propagating material that have not been granted plant variety rights, subject to quantity limits and record-keeping requirements. The Act also regulates the certification, production, marketing, import, and export of seed, propagating material, and cultivating material.
The Agriculture and Food Board and the Environmental Board are the competent authorities under the Act. The Act establishes the plant varieties register, which contains data concerning varieties, owners, breeders, and maintainers, with public access except to information restricted for use by state authorities. It also regulates plant variety rights, variety maintenance, and supervision of activities governed by the Act.