A company which fraudulently registers or claims ownership of another person's protected crop variety could face a fine of up to Rwf100 million or a prison sentence of up to three years under Rwanda’s new agriculture law.

The law introduces tougher penalties to protect plant breeders’ rights, discourage fraud, and encourage investment in the development of improved crop varieties.

ALSO READ: Parliament passes bill to modernise agriculture

A crop variety refers to a group of plants within the same species with distinct characteristics that remain unchanged when the crop is propagated or reproduced. These traits may include yield, colour, size, quality, or resistance to diseases.

According to the National Plant Variety List published in December 2025, Rwanda had 83 protected maize varieties, 12 soybean varieties, 26 rice varieties, 19 bean varieties, eight cassava varieties, 27 sweet potato varieties, 19 Irish potato varieties, 16 wheat varieties, two sunflower varieties, two sorghum varieties, and 11 barley varieties.

Applications for protection of new plant varieties are handled by the Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA), which processes requests from breeders seeking legal recognition for their innovations.

ALSO READ: New bill sets stage for modern, market-led farming

Once approved, new varieties are entered into the national crop variety list and published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda, granting breeders exclusive protection rights over their innovations.

Under the new legislation, an individual convicted of fraudulently claiming ownership of a protected crop variety faces imprisonment of between one and three years, a fine ranging from Rwf7 million to Rwf10 million, or both.

Where the offence is committed by a company or another legal entity, the penalty ranges from Rwf70 million to Rwf100 million.

Eugene Kwibuka, Communications Manager at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), said the higher penalties for organisations reflect their greater financial capacity and the potentially larger commercial gains from violating breeders’ rights.

"Companies generally earn far more than individuals who violate property rights in this area,” he said.

ALSO READ: Maize farmers supplied with faulty seeds to be compensated

Kwibuka explained that enforcement largely depends on rights holders reporting violations and providing evidence before competent courts.

"Owners of protected plant varieties must file a case and prove that another party has unlawfully exploited or fraudulently claimed ownership of their protected variety,” he said.

He said the law is intended to boost confidence among breeders and researchers by protecting investments made in developing new crop varieties.

"Developing a new plant variety takes a long time and requires considerable investment in research and related activities. The strict penalties are intended to discourage offences in this area,” he said.

The new provisions align with Rwanda’s 2024 Intellectual Property Law, which strengthened protection of intellectual property rights across different sectors.

Plant and seed varieties are also protected under the 2016 law governing seeds and plant varieties in Rwanda, with MINAGRI responsible for policy development.

ALSO READ: Fake seeds dealers could face jail term under new bill

Kwibuka said the revised legislation reflects Rwanda’s Intellectual Property Rights Policy, which calls for stronger legal safeguards and penalties against violations.

"The offences and penalties relating to plant varieties and breeders’ rights were benchmarked against those contained in the Intellectual Property Law,” he said.

He added that the law also supports Rwanda’s implementation of the Arusha Protocol for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, a regional agreement aimed at strengthening plant breeders’ rights.

Supporting innovation

Crop scientist Pacifique Nshimiyimana welcomed the law, saying it would encourage innovation and attract investment in Rwanda’s seed sector.

"It supports innovation and agricultural technology developers in the seed system. This is important in attracting seed companies because they know their intellectual property and breeding assets will be protected from counterfeit products and fake improved seed,” he said.

He said stronger protection would help researchers and breeders recover investments made in developing new varieties.

"Without such protection, the rightful owners of improved varieties would not be able to recover the investments made in research and development,” he said.

Nshimiyimana explained that developing improved crop varieties is a lengthy process involving laboratory research, field trials and regulatory approval.

"For example, although recently enhanced cassava and potato varieties have been under development for years, they have not yet reached farmers. Research conducted in laboratories and field trials, such as those carried out by RAB, can take about five years and requires the involvement of many experts,” he said.

He added that registration and National Performance Trials (NPTs) across different agro-ecological zones can take another two to three years before varieties are approved for release to farmers.