Taiwan and Japan achieved a new milestone in their bilateral relations today (19th) with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on mutual recognition of plant variety testing reports. The agreement was signed by Mr. Jia-chyuan Su, Chairperson of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, and Mr. Mitsuo Ohashi, Chairperson of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, with representatives from both countries' competent authorities in attendance. The MOU establishes mutual recognition of plant variety testing reports, which will streamline the application process for plant variety rights, reducing both time and costs for breeders in both countries while fostering bilateral agricultural intellectual property development.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), the protection of Taiwan's superior plant varieties through variety rights has become increasingly important amid global trade liberalization and growing international agricultural trade. Since plant variety rights are territorial, protection must be secured through individual applications in each jurisdiction. The review process, which must account for plant growth cycles and phenotype observations, typically requires 2-3 years from filing an application to receiving the rights certificate. This process requires a significant investment of time and resources for breeders, particularly when seeking protection in multiple countries.
To facilitate international variety rights applications, Taiwan has signed several cooperative agreements. In 2019, Taiwan signed an administrative agreement with the EU for mutual recognition of Phalaenopsis (moth orchid) testing reports, followed by an MOU with Vietnam in 2021 on plant variety testing and protection cooperation. As of November 2024, these cooperation mechanisms have enabled 17 superior Taiwanese varieties to obtain foreign variety rights with reduced time and cost requirements. Given Japan's position as Taiwan's most important agricultural export market, both countries engaged in over a year of negotiations to reach this consensus on mutual recognition of variety testing reports. The MOU was formally signed today at the 48th Taiwan-Japan Economic and Trade Conference in Tokyo. Both parties will continue discussions to determine eligible plant species, a crucial step in promoting international competitiveness and industry development in both nations.
The MOA reports that as of November 2024, Taiwan has processed 3,265 variety rights applications. The breakdown shows ornamental plants leading with 2,735 cases (84%), followed by vegetables with 210 cases (6%), fruit trees with 171 cases (5%), food crops with 85 cases (3%), and other varieties with 64 cases (2%). Plant variety rights serve the dual purpose of protecting breeders' interests and encouraging variety research and improvement while providing consumers with more diverse agricultural products. The MOA remains committed to pursuing additional international cooperation opportunities to protect Taiwan's superior varieties and enhance its agricultural competitiveness.
