The Cabinet has approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation to grant policy approval for the preparation of a draft bill aimed at protecting new plant variety rights. 

This move comes in response to the gap in the existing Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003, which does not cover plant variety rights for breeders, researchers, and farmers. 

The current Act also prohibits granting patent rights for plants and animals. Approval was granted during the Cabinet meeting held on 22 May 2024 to move forward with drafting this new legislation.