CAPQ will revoke export codes from companies in violation of these rights
Egypt’s plant protection agency CAPQ has reaffirmed its commitment to protect plant breeder’s rights ahead of the 2025 table grape season by confirming that it will revoke the export codes from any farms or exporters who are in violation of these rights.
At a recent meeting between CAPQ head Dr Mohammed Mansi, Duncan Macintyre, president of The Breeders’ Alliance and leading table grape breeding companies, the parties acknowledged the importance of grapes as a strategic export crop, especially in the light of the increasing demand for Egyptian grapes and the opening of new markets.
In recent years, grape breeders have introduced many new high-performing varieties offering improved productivity, quality, disease resistance, flavour and texture into Egypt which are now being successfully grown by the country’s leading producers. All these new varieties are protected under the Egyptian Plant Variety Rights legislation.
Both sides agreed that it was far better to prevent the export from Egypt of illegal fruit rather than to intercept it at the destination market. Nevertheless, Macintyre confirmed that The Breeders’ Alliance will be increasing its market surveillance activities and also that it will be working closely with customs authorities in Europe and the UK to prevent the importation of illegal fruit.
The system of export coding is administered by CAPQ under a decree by Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation. CAPQ staff will take samples from farms which are suspected of producing these new varieties without a valid license from the breeders. These samples will be DNA tested at the newly established CAPQ laboratory.
The delegation also visited the laboratory, situated at Cairo International Airport, and spent some time discussing DNA testing technology with the CAPQ lab staff.
During the visit it was agreed that The Breeders’ Alliance would facilitate further training for the laboratory staff on both the genetic and morphological characteristics of the new varieties.
Macintyre commented: “The Breeders Alliance applauds the CAPQ and indeed the Egyptian authorities in general for their positive and proactive action to uphold breeders’ rights. This will guarantee that Egypt continues to be a very favourable country for the breeders to promote their new varieties. The approach taken by Egypt to protect these intellectual property rights is a great example to other countries”.
The Breeders’ Alliance was created in 2019 by the three leading table grape breeders (Bloom Fresh, Grapa and Sun World) to assist in protecting the rights of its members, as well as to safeguard the interests of their licensees and distributors around the world against unauthorised propagation.
