February 2025 Newsletter
Dear APSA members and partners,
Things are moving nicely in February for the APSA team.
This month, we have our first flagship consultation of the year, centered around phytosanitary matters. We gathered the NPPOs or national plant protection organizations of 17 countries in the Asia Pacific region. This Phytosanitary Expert Consultation is a long-standing initiative by APSA, already running for 11 years, which brings together the public and private sectors to talk about enhancing seed movement. To me, the highlight of these consultations is hearing progress from the different countries. There have been inspiring developments in ePhyto and third-party field accreditation, for example.
As much as these consultations are a venue for learning and updating each other, I believe that another significant value of these yearly meetings are the connections that are made and the trust that is built. We want to assure our partners in government that the private seed sector is here as your ally. We share a common goal to move quality seeds across borders so that farmers may be able to access them at the right time.
This month we’ve also kicked off our webinar series, starting with a Seed Technology webinar on the use of AI in the seed industry. Very interesting topic and truly a game-changer for the seed business. Check out the schedule of the upcoming webinars on https://web.apsaseed.org/events. As APSA members, you should not miss the chance to access these exclusive opportunities to expand your knowledge.
Speaking of unique benefits, we’ve just developed a new APSA members brochure. Watch out for that soon to discover all the benefits and perks of an APSA membership.
And remember, #SeedComesFirst
Cheers,
Francine Sayoc,
Executive Director
THANK YOU to our digital media sponsors
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2025 APSA Breed Better TGIF Webinar – Session 1
Don’t forget to register for the upcoming 2025 APSA "Breed Better: Thank God It’s Friday" Webinar Series. Exclusively for APSA members, this exciting series offers four expertly curated sessions, providing invaluable insights into the latest trends and advancements in vegetable breeding and cultivation across the Asia-Pacific region. Session 1 will be held on Friday, 28th of March and will focus on Legumes with 4 guest speakers.
Don't miss the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and enhance your expertise. For more details and registration, please visit https://web.apsaseed.org/events/2025-apsa-breed-better-tgif-webinar
Horti Asia Next 2025 & VIV Asia 2025
VIV Asia is the biggest and most complete seed to food event in Asia, dedicated to the world of livestock production, animal husbandry and all related sectors, from seed, to feed production, to animal farming, breeding, veterinary, animal health solutions, processing of meat, fish, shrimp, egg, dairy products and more. VIV Asia will be held alongside Meat Pro Asia and HortiAgri Next Asia.
Horti Agri Next (HAN) is a trade show and exhibition covering every aspect from upstream to downstream: outdoor and indoor farming types, soil preparation, seeding, growing, crop protection and nutrition, harvesting, production management, storage and packaging, logistics, and cold chain. This event will bring together growers, investors, dealers, distributors, ag cooperatives, food manufacturers and processors, exporters, and technology providers – from seed to food.
HORTI AGRI NEXT ASIA 2025 will be held from 12 - 14 March 2025 at IMPACT, Bangkok, Thailand.
On May 12, APSA will have a special panel discussion on “Building resilient and sustainable food systems in APSA: opportunities for collaboration in the agricultural value chain.” This session will feature 4 guest speakers, including APSA President Teck Wah Koh, and moderated by APSA Executive Director Francine Sayoc. APSA is grateful to have this opportunity to champion the fundamental role of quality seed at this major trade show, which is expected to draw some 50,000 attendees with 1,500+ exhibitors.
And be sure to come say hi and visit our booth at Booth No. 5-1442 to learn more about APSA and how #SeedComesFirst. Registration is free until 23:59h (BKK Time) on March 11, 2025. After that there is a fee of 15 Euros.
For more details, please visit https://web.apsaseed.org/events/horti-agri-next-asia-2025
Standing Committees and Special Interest Groups
SC International Trade & Quarantines
Organized by the APSA Standing Committee on International Trade and Quarantine, the APSA flagship events, APSA 2025 Phytosanitary Expert Consultation was held this week on Feb 25-16, Bangkok, Thailand. It provides a platform for further discussion of the Public-Private Partnership to strengthen collaboration and address all concerns relating to the seed movement across borders. 26 National Plant Protection Officers (NPPOs) from 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific region along with global seed sector experts participated in the consultation. The consultation discussed the implementation of ISPM38, small-scale movement of seeds for research purposes, field inspection accreditation under ISPM45, ePhyto and the PRA for regulated non-quarantine pest under ISPM21. The officers from the participating countries highlighted key developments in their countries and the seed sector experts shared the best practices for some of the consultation topics.
The APSA Standing Committee on International Trade & quarantine welcomed Mr Craig Hollings, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Seed from Bayer Science and Innovation Private, Ms. Atik Setyawati. Export-Import Manager• Seed Operation Division from PT. East West Seed Indonesia, and Dr. Boonyanath Nathwong, president of Thai Seed Trade Association as 3 new members to the committee. We also have to say farewell to Dr Kanokwan Chodchoey, and thank her for all her efforts and contributions to the commitee.
Let us move to an update from Standing Committee on Seed Technology:
The first APSA Seed Technology Webinar, organized by the APSA Standing Committee on Seed Technology, was a resounding success. With nearly 200 participants joining from across the Asia, the session showcased cutting-edge discussions on AI in the Seed Industry, highlighting innovations that are shaping the future of breeding, seed quality, and supply chains.
A huge thank you to the Seed Technology Webinar Working Group—Dr. Sandeep Jadli, Mr. Farhan Tahir, and Mr. Ashley Fraser—for their dedication in curating an outstanding lineup of expert speakers:
The discussions sparked insightful conversations on the applications of AI in the seed sector, setting the stage for even more exciting topics in our upcoming webinars.
What’s next? Stay tuned for Session 2, coming up in May 2025.
SC IPR & Biodiversity
The Standing Committee for IPR & Biodiversity (SC IPR&BIO) is working on the development of educational materials, such as a Plant Variety Protection (PVP) fact sheet, to provide clear and concise information to stakeholders.
This year, the SC IPR&BIO Committee also welcomed new members Dr Ha Thuy Nguyen, Seed Regulatory Lead – Asia from Bayer (South East Asia), Dr. Alex Rigor, Executive Director of Philippine Seed Industry Association, and Dr. Manisha Negi, Regulatory affairs manager from East West Seed International to the committee. We have to say farewell to Dr. Gabriel Ortega Romero for this contribution to the committee and wish him all the best in his new role.
The Standing Committee on Plant Breeding Innovation
The Standing Committee on Plant Breeding Innovation also has new blood. In 2025, we welcomed the new Co-Chair, Ms. Linfeng Chu, Vice Secretary-General of International Cooperation Branch of China Seed Association, and 2 new members, which are Dr. Alex Rigor, Executive Director of Philippine Seed Industry Association, and Dr. Boonyanath Nathwong, president of Thai Seed Trade Association to the committee. We would like to thank our past Co-Chair, Dr. Yang Yasheng and our past committee members Dr. Gabriel Ortega Romero and Dr. Seetharam Annadana for their contribution and wish them all the best.
Next is an update from SIG Field Crops:
The Special Interest Group (SIG) for Field Crops has no scheduled meeting this month, but the committee and Secretariat are actively working on key follow-up actions. As part of our ongoing efforts, we are also exploring opportunities to expand our membership to strengthen engagement and drive impactful initiatives for the Asia-Pacific field crops seed sector.
Stay tuned for updates as we continue to advance discussions and initiatives that address key challenges and opportunities in the industry.
Moving to the Special Interest Group on Vegetables and Ornamentals
The SIG V&O committee held its first quarterly meeting on February 7, 2025. The meeting covered a range of important topics, including activity planning for the year, updates on ongoing projects, and discussions on key industry issues. The committee also reviewed plans for upcoming study tours and technical sessions, aiming to enhance knowledge sharing and collaboration among members.
We are pleased to welcome Mr. Steve van de Merve from East-West Seed International as a new member of the SIG V&O committee. Steve brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the group, having worked in the seed industry since 1996. He has held multiple roles in plant breeding, seed production research, agronomy, and supply chain management. Steve has also worked for top seed companies such as Monsanto and Syngenta, and has extensive experience in seed production and logistics from all major seed production countries worldwide. We look forward to his valuable contributions in advancing our initiatives and supporting the growth of the vegetable and ornamental seed industry.
The Working Group of Integrated Vegetable Seed Companies or WIC
This month, WIC members and the APSA Secretariat have been diligently following up on action points from the December 2024 meeting in Sanya, China. Key topics include the Indonesian Seed Production and Viet Nam variety registration issues, ensuring progress for the upcoming June meeting. Additionally, the WIC subgroup held meetings with seed associations in India, the Philippines, and Thailand to foster collaborations and plan activities for the year.
The Disease Resistance Terminology Working Group (DRT):
The Disease Resistance Terminology (DRT) Working Group has made significant progress, with two company members completing the ring test. We eagerly anticipate the results of this important research. Meanwhile, a letter requesting an extension for the bitter gourd powdery mildew project has been submitted to the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) of India, and we are awaiting approval.
For the R&D Advisory Group,
The APSA R&D Advisory Committee on Vegetables & Ornamentals extends sincere appreciation to Dr. Seetharam Annadana, who has resigned from the Chair position and the R&D committee after several years of dedicated service. His outstanding contributions are greatly valued, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
This month, the working group led by Dr. Conrado Balatero has been busy creating the agenda for the "Breed Better TGIF Webinar Session 1 on Legumes," scheduled for March 28, 2025. The session will feature three outstanding speakers from both the public and private sectors in Asia. Visit our program for more info and register here!
APSA-WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium
The 2025 APSA WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium is now open for registration. The schedule for the Annual Workshop at the Tainan Headquarters has also been updated. Join the APSA-WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium to gain exposure to the latest research and connect with international breeders and scientists. Click here for more information.
Unfortunately, the Tomato Insect Resistance special project did not proceed as planned. However, we remain committed to advancing the development of insect resistance materials and will continue to improve them further. We plan to relaunch the project with a refined focus in the near future and look forward to your continued involvement. Stay tuned for more updates.
This is all for now for the short SC/SIG updates. Thank you very much and stay tuned for more updates next month.
The following country seed industry news pages have been updated with recent news briefs. To read full briefs, click the respective flag below to bring you to the national seed industry news landing page:
Australia:
Bangladesh
Cambodia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Nepal
New Zealand
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
The Philippines
Thailand
Turkiye
Viet Nam
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As part of APSA’s sustained digitalization and digitization efforts, in 2023 we’re offering active members even more ways to directly reach Asia-Pacific seed industry decision-makers in their inbox, on their desktop PCs, laptops, smartphone, tablets, and phablets alike, through our exciting new affiliate, sponsorship, marketing, communication, advertising and publicity opportunities.
We are pleased to announce our 2023 Digital Media Sponsorship Rates and Media Kit:
Don’t hesitate, INQUIRE NOW!
Email: (komsak@apsaseed.org)
Asian Seed magazine Vol. 30 No.4 (Quarter 4, 2024)
In this Q4 issue of the magazine, we have featured content dedicated to the 2024 Asian Seed Congress, being held in Sanya, China from 2-6 December.
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