The Institute of Bast Crops is a world-known research institution with a unique scientific potential and a scientific school of bast crops. Thanks to the enormous efforts of scientists, monoecious hemp varieties with a complete absence of narcotic compounds resulting in valuable industrial crops for world production were created. The Institute’s efforts also made a significant contribution to the fight against drug addiction. The Institute is positioned as a leading scientific and methodological center for hemp in Ukraine and abroad. Founded in 1931 as the All-Union Hemp Research Institute, this year the Institute will celebrate 90th anniversary.
The main task of the institution is scientific support of the flax and hemp industries of Ukraine, especially basic and elite seeds for bast crops cultivation.
The Institute of Bast Crops is the owner of the Ukrainian National Collection of Flax and Hemp in which there are samples with unique biological and economic characteristics. The hemp collection is one of the largest in the world and has more than 500 samples and the flax collection has about 1150.
Only those hemp varieties that are included in the State Register of Plant Varieties Suitable for Distribution in Ukraine may be grown in Ukraine. Therefore, the right to use the variety by any enterprise is protected by law.
According to Article 391 of the Law of Ukraine “On Protection of Plant Varieties”:
1. The property right of intellectual property on a plant variety is the right of its owner to propagate the variety and to permit or prohibit the propagation of the variety by other persons.
2. The right to authorize or prohibit the distribution of a variety is that the following actions may not be carried out as for planting material of the variety (in our case hemp seeds) without the permission of the owner of the intellectual property right to propagate the plant variety:
a) offer for sale;
b) sale or other commercial turnover;
c) keeping out for any of the purposes specified in paragraphs “a” and “b” of this part.
Currently, the State Register of Plant Varieties Suitable for Distribution in Ukraine contains nine hemp varieties of ILK NAAS breeding (JUSO-31, Harmonia, Vik 2020, Hliana, Hlesia, Artemida, Hlukhivs’ki 51, Mykolaichyk and Hlukhivs’ki 85). Varieties such as JUSO-31, Hliana and Hlesia are registered in many EU countries and America. Variety Hlukhivs’ki 51 is just entering the international market and the right to use it in Ukraine rests only with the originator – the Institute of Bast Crops.

The Institute of Bast Crops as the originator, granted the right to produce and sell hemp seed for planting only to the certain companies.
Due to the excitement around the “hemp theme” and the active interest of foreign companies in the seeds of Ukrainian breeding, the domestic market is increased by companies that try to present themselves as active producers of hemp seed for planting, which clearly misinform potential buyers of hemp seed both inside and outside the country. Export of seed for planting is forbidden without the written consent of The Institute of Bast Crops.
The Institute of Bast Crops draws the attention of hemp seed consumers and companies entering the Ukrainian industrial hemp market to the fact that the use of seeds of unknown origin leads to crop losses and problems with law authorities. Therefore, as the originators of unique Ukrainian varieties, we call for careful choice of seed suppliers and compliance with Ukrainian legislation.
We wish you good harvests and invite you to cooperate.

O.Primacov