256 [ No. 18 of 2007 s Plant Breeder Rights (aj statistically valid. multi-Iocational, variety trials carried out in the country for at least three growing seasons demonstrate that the variety has the specific characteristic as claimed by the applicant; or (bj an exceptional crisis in food production so requires and Provisional protection Registrable plant varieties the Institute is satisfied that(i) statistically valid trials on the variety carried out outside the country demonstrate that the variety has that specified characteristic; and (it) the natural environment outside the country under which the statistically valid trials were carried out is similar to the environment in Zambia. 28. (1) The Institute shall grant provisional protection to a plant breeder's variety from the date of acceptance of an application, to the date of grant or rejection of the application whichever occurs first. (2) The Institute may notify an applicant, in writing, that this section shall cease to apply to a variety in respect of which an application is made on the date specified in the notice where(aj the plant breeders rights will not be granted or are not likely to be granted to the applicant giving reasons therefor: (b) the Institute has, in the public interest, taken a decision not to proceed with the application: or (c) the application has been withdrawn. (3) The Institute shall, within fourteen days from the date that any person ceases to hold any provisional protection under this section, give public notice of the fact. 29. (I) A plant breeder's rights shall be granted in respect of any variety which is(aj new; (b) distinct; (cj uniform; and (dj stable. (2) For purposes of subsection (I), a plant variety is(aj new, if at the date of the filing of an application for the registration of the right in the variety, the propagating or harvested material of the variety has not been sold or otherwise disposed of, to another person by or with the consent of its breeder, or the breeder's assignee for purposes of the exploitation of the variety-