Several subsidiaries of Shenzhen Noposion Crop Science Co., Ltd. will have to respond before the Kunming Intermediate People's Court to two new lawsuits filed by Yunnan Meiming Agriculture Co., Ltd. for alleged infringement of plant variety rights. blueberry.

The cases have already been filed in the first instance and have scheduled hearings. Collectively, they involve claims totaling 36,25 million yuan, a figure that includes the compensation sought, the punitive damages claimed in one of the cases, and the costs associated with the legal proceedings.

The new episode expands a controversy that began in 2024, combining two issues of particular interest to the industry: the authorization to produce and propagate protected varieties and the responsibility for the quality of the plant material supplied.

In addition to financial compensation, Meiming is demanding that the reported conduct cease and that the plants and propagation materials involved be destroyed. Noposion reported that its subsidiaries reject the claims and will mount a defense. The company added that the impact of the legal proceedings on its financial results will depend on the final judgments.

Accusations of unauthorized propagation

In the first lawsuit, Meiming accuses three Noposion subsidiaries of having produced, propagated, and planted without authorization a new variety of blueberry in its facilities.

The plaintiff requests that the companies cease the alleged infringement, destroy the plants and propagation material they hold in their possession, and jointly pay 25,08 million yuan for economic losses, in addition to the costs claimed to stop the reported conduct.

The second lawsuit involves four subsidiaries. In this case, Meiming is claiming 3,65 million yuan and seeking punitive damages equivalent to twice that amount. Including both components, the claim totals 10,95 million yuan, plus the legal costs requested by the plaintiff.

This process also calls for the cessation of the alleged violation of varietal rights and the destruction of the plants and propagation materials corresponding to the protected varieties.

The new actions are part of the varietal front of a controversy that began for another reason: the quality of the plants supplied.

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The conflict began over the quality of the plants

In January 2024, two subsidiaries of Noposion sued Meiming and the Spanish company Plantas de Navarra SA

According to the plaintiffs, alleged defects in the supplied plants caused production losses. In separate lawsuits, they sought compensation of 94,75 million and 52,24 million yuan, respectively.

In April 2025, the trial court ordered the defendants to pay joint compensation exceeding 52 million yuan. All parties appealed the ruling, and no further public information is available regarding the outcome of those appeals.

Since March 2025, Meiming has been filing lawsuits against Noposion subsidiaries for alleged infringement of plant variety rights. The controversy has thus expanded from the quality and productive performance of the plants provided to the authorization to produce, propagate, and cultivate protected materials.

Claims for hundreds of millions of yuan

In May 2026, Noposion reported the first instance rulings of two other lawsuits brought by Meiming against several of its subsidiaries.

In those proceedings, Meiming had sought compensation totaling 80,45 million yuan. The courts set joint payments at 8,73 million yuan, but Noposion announced that its subsidiaries would appeal the rulings.

© Italianberry.it

In April 2026, Meiming also filed new lawsuits against two other companies linked to Noposion for alleged infringement of varietal rights. The claims totaled 185 million yuan.

Meanwhile, the actions initiated by Noposion subsidiaries against Meiming have accumulated claims for approximately 147 million yuan.

Taken together, the amounts claimed by both parties in the various lawsuits total several hundred million yuan. This figure represents accumulated claims and not final compensation awards: some cases are still in the first instance and others are under appeal.

There is still no definitive resolution to the entire controversy.

For the industry of blueberryThe case focuses on the traceability of plant material, the scope of authorizations to produce and propagate protected varieties, and responsibility for the quality of the plants supplied. These aspects require contracts and records that establish the origin of the material, the rights of use, and the obligations assumed by each party.

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