Add Karabao Clarifies Legal Status of 'Khaepra CP' Basil Variety Rights

Key summary

Thai singer Add Karabao (Yunyong Opakul) addressed public concerns regarding the 'Khaepra CP' basil variety on October 25, 2026. He utilized an AI assistant named 'Po' to explain that while Central Pattana (CP Ram) holds plant breed protection rights for four specific new varieties ('Kaew Juri 01-04') developed with Kasetsart University since 2024, they do not own the right to all basil plants. The company uses these varieties for factory supply and its own farmer network rather than selling seeds to the general public. Add Karabao clarified that farmers can continue to grow, save seeds from, and sell ordinary Thai basil as usual, but commercial propagation of the specific 'Kaew Juri' varieties requires legal permission. He noted that confusion arises from media mislabeling plant breed protection as patents or copyrights.