Quality Seed | Quality Life
May 2022 Newsletter
Welcome everyone to the May newsletter and podcast. I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy.
The first update is on a successful physical Asian Solanaceous Round Table (ASRT) and APSA-World Vegetable Centre Annual Workshop and field demo, organized 9 to 13 May at IIHR, Bangalore, India. Aside from these events, APSA Vice President (Dr. Manish Patel) and our Chair of R&D advisory group (Dr. Seetharam Annadana) along with the leadership from Indian Council of Agricultural research (ICAR) signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of APSA and ICAR, India on 11 May. This Mou will help to build the capacity on research collaboration and public private partnerships for the benefit of the regional seed industry
In parallel with our APSA ASRT in Bangalore, I, along with APSA President, Mr. Wichai Laocharoenpornkul participated to the ISF meetings and Congress during the week of 12 – 19 May, 2022.
We had a very productive discussion with ISF’s coordination groups and their Secretary General (Mr. Michael Keller) as well as with ISF Immediate past president (Mr. Donald Coles) in which we emphasized on collaboration in policy advocacy activities on plant breeding innovation, Illegal seed practices, phytosanitary matters, genetic resources and new initiatives, such as APSA’s recently-launched University Connect program.
Our communications manager (Mr. Steven Layne) also joined in the virtual meeting in the expert group of communication during ISF meeting. I strongly believe that co-ordination among and with all regional seed associations and ISF will help to move forward all agendas in the seed sector more efficiently.
Thus, we would like to congratulate ISF and national organizing team in Spain for their successful congress. It was a great opportunity for all of us to meet again in-person and we saw it very clearly that an online meeting is no substitute for physical, in-person meeting. And on this topic, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new ISF President, Marco Van Leeuwen, who stepped up into his new role in Barcelona.
The next physical Congress on the calendar is that of the Seed Association of the Americas or SAA, which will be held from September 26 – 28 at Punta del Este, Uruguay. (See international seed news below)
Next are some updates on some key highlights for APSA members. On May 26th, we successfully organized our Field Crops webinar, the recording of which can be viewed by APSA members through our e-learning platform soon. The next webinar will be on Seed Dormancy, which will be organized on 7th June by the APSA Standing Committee on Seed Technology. This is an interesting topic that our members have been looking forward to learning more about. Seed dormancy is a crucial factor for seed companies to consider in providing the best seed quality to farmers.
And yes, early bird registration for our Asian Seed Congress is still open. Please don't hesitate to use this opportunity to meet all key players in the seed industry. APSA and the Thai Seed Trade Association (THASTA) are working together to bring the best of Bangkok and the greater Asian seed industry to all of you on 14 – 18 November 2022.
And as for updates from our committees, on behalf of the APSA Executive Committee and Secretariat, I would like to thank Ms. Abigail Struxness for her great contribution as an APSA EC member and as a co-chair of the Standing Committee on International Trade and Quarantine. She had supported APSA a lot on collaboration with USDA through the Mekong US Partnership program and on our policy harmonization for seed movements. Abigail resigned from ASTA last month and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors. An update on the position of the new co-chair of the SC International Trade and Quarantine will be announced in June. This month, we would like to welcome Mr. Surya Rao Rongali from Syngenta as a new member of the Standing Committee of International Trade and Quarantine and also in the Standing Committee on Intellectual Property and Biodiversity. We now have more experts in all SIGs and SCs and we are really looking forward to their contributions to the APAC seed sector.
Moving to research collaborations, we are pleased to announce that the project on Identification of SNP markers associated with resistance to pepper yellow leaf curl virus in chili pepper, proposed by NSTDA and KMITL, has concluded with 10 participating companies. Registration for another proposed project for APSA-WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium 2022 members, which is titled “Development of Tomato Lines for Resistance to Sucking & Feeding Pests”, remains open until November, or until we confirm the proposal’s maximum of 15 participating companies. Please find more information here or feel free to express your interest to Ms. Xiaofeng Li (xiaofeng@apsaseed.org).
Thank you very much and again I would like to thank for a great support from APSA members and there are still more updates on upcoming events and technical affairs which you can hear from our team in this newsletter. Take care and really looking forward to seeing you in person soon this year!
If you have any suggestions on our activities, the key issues you are facing in your seed business and possible collaborations, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at may@apsaseed.org .
May Chodchoey,
APSA Executive Director
may@apsaseed.org.
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APSA MEMBERSHIP Reminders and Updates
APSA Membership term is 1 January through 31 December. APSA Membership Fees are non-refundable and we do not provide pro rata of membership rates. As of now, we have more than 300 active members who have renewed their membership for 2022.
Asian Seed Congress 2022 payment update
The Asian Seed Congress 2022 will be held in Bangkok, Thailand from the 14th to the 18th of November 2022 at the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre. As of now, we have 83 paid delegates, 13 paid for trading tables, 3 paid Semi-private meeting room, 1 paid private meeting room and 1 for regular booth. Registration has already opened, if you need any assistance, please contact me, Bobbie.
If you have any questions, or if there is anything else we can assist you with please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Mr. Komsak Kamjing (Bobbie)
APSA Membership Coordination Manager
RCEP Forum on Intellectual Property (IP) Protection in Seed Industry
The Asia and Pacific Seed Alliance (APSA), in collaboration with the China National Seed Trade Association (CNSTA), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Administration Bureau (YZBSTC) will be holding the RCEP Forum on Intellectual Property (IP) Protection in Seed Industry focusing on “Regional Cooperation on IP Protection and Enforcement System to Promote Seed Trade and Technological Innovation for Food Security” on the 2nd of June 2022. The objective of this event is to understand the scope of Intellectual Property under RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) Agreement and the plant variety protection under the UPOV Convention to promote the innovation and investment in agriculture among RCEP member countries, to exchange the current practices of IP protection and IP enforcement among RCEP member countries focusing on PVP, the agriculture sector and seed industry and to discuss on how to cooperate among RCEP countries on IP protection and enforcement, with particular focus on PVP, under RCEP Agreement on the agriculture sector and seed industry.
This event is invite only but if you wish to view more details, please visit the official event page. https://web.apsaseed.org/events/rcep-ip-forum
2022 APSA Seed Technology Webinar – Session 1
On Tuesday the 7th of June 2022 from 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm (BKK Time), APSA will be holding the first session of the 2022 APSA Seed Technology Webinar. The main focus of this webinar will be Seed Dormancy, and will feature 2 guest speakers; Dr. Henk Hilhorst, Associate-Professor (Retired) from Wageningen University who will come to discuss on Seed Dormancy: Theory, Causes and Types and Ms. Karen Brock, CEO/Owner of Brocklands who will discuss Detecting the Presence of Dormancy and Dormancy Breaking Approaches. This webinar is FREE for all APSA Members to attend, but pre-registration is required. If you have yet to register, do so immediately. Registration will close on Friday the 3rd of June 2022.
For more details and on how to register, please visit the official event page.https://web.apsaseed.org/events/2022-apsa-seed-technology-webinar-session-1
PVP Workshop – Session 2
On Monday the 27th of June 2022, APSA will be holding the 2nd Session of the PVP Workshop. Organized by the Department of Agriculture (DoA) Thailand, the Thai Seed Trade Association (THASTA) and the Asia and Pacific Seed Association (APSA), the objective of this workshop is to improve the understanding of PVP and plant breeders’ rights under the UPOV Convention and the status of the PVP Act under the Thai legal system. We cordially invite all APSA Members, stakeholders from Thai seed industry, plant breeders, researchers and academics. The workshop will be organized virtually and is FREE for all to attend. The participants are welcome to join online via the zoom webinar platform. The session will be in Thai language with simultaneous interpretation to English.
For more details regarding agenda and how to register, please visit the official event page. https://web.apsaseed.org/events/pvp-workshop-session-2
Cucurbits Disease Management Workshop
APSA, in collaboration with the Thai Seed Trade Association (THASTA), the National Science and Technology Development Agency of Thailand (NSTDA), the Department of Agriculture of Thailand (DOA-Thailand) and Khon Kaen University will hold another event on the topic of "Cucurbits Disease Management Workshop", which is considered an important economic crop in Thailand and the region. The objective is to enhance the capacity of management to prevent seed-transmitted pests in Cucurbits. This physical workshop for sharing information among Academics, Experts, Government officials and representatives from Seed companies in Thailand. The event is scheduled to be held on 21 July 2022, at Charoen Thani Hotel, Muang District, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. This event will be held in Thai and is invite only.
For more details on the event, please visit the official event page. https://web.apsaseed.org/events/CDM-Workshop
2022 Asian Seed Congress (ASC 2022)
Finally, after 2 years, APSA and the Thai Seed Trade Association (THASTA) as the official National Organizing Committee, is planning on holding the long-awaited the 2022 Asian Seed Congress (ASC 2022) in Bangkok, Thailand from the 14th to the 18th of November 2022 at the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre. This year’s congress will feature 200 trading tables, 30 semi-private meeting rooms, 5 private meeting rooms and over 30 exhibition booths, all located on a single floor. Registration has already opened, and if you have yet to register, do so immediately, Early-Bird Registration Period will end on the 30th of June.
For more information on congress agenda, official floor plan, COVID-19 Travel regulations to Thailand and on how to register, please visit the official event page (https://web.apsaseed.org/asc2022)
List of Upcoming APSA Webinars
For more information regarding agenda and registration for the upcoming 2022 APSA Webinars, please stay tuned for more details.
That is all for Upcoming APSA Events. Now for some details regarding upcoming seed industry events from around the world.
Agribusiness Value Chain Forum
In today's interconnected global supply chains and markets world, companies operating in the agribusiness sector need more than just data to make timely, informed decisions. IHS Markit will be holding a four-day complimentary virtual forum that will discuss Supply Continuity, the impact of Under-investment and Sustainability initiatives in Agribusiness. You'll hear from leading analysts in their respective fields, and there will be opportunities to share your views and ask questions. The Agribusiness Value Chain Forum will take place from the 7th to the 10th of June 2022 and is FREE for all to attend, but pre-registration is required.
For more details on agenda, and on how to register, please visit: https://ihsmarkit.com/agribusiness-forum
5th China International Import Expo (CIIE)
From the 5th to the 10 of November 2022, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and Shanghai Municipal People's Government will hold the 5th China International Import Expo (CIIE) at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China.
The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is one of China’s first import-themed national-level exhibition which provides great opportunities for foreign enterprises to showcase their products and technology wishing to enter and/or expand their Chinese market. The expo will also feature a forum of relevant government authorities, international organizations, scientific research institutes and representatives of domestic and foreign enterprises, who will come to discuss various topics such as new situations, new technology, new achievements and new equipment of the seed industry field, the establishment of an innovation system of the seed industry from a multi-dimension angle, build a business dialogue platform, advocate the intellectual property protection and focus on the innovative development demands of the seed industry.
If you are interested in joining this event, please visit the official event page for more details on registration (https://www.ciie.org/zbh/index.html)
If you have any questions regarding upcoming APSA events, or if there is anything else, I can assist you with please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Mike Kingapayom
APSA Event Manager
Welcome to Technical Affairs update. The same as before, let’s start with the APSA-WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium.
We are happy to remind you that the registration for 2022 APSA-WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium（CLICK HERE to learn more about the consortium benefits）is on-going, please CLICK HERE to register.
The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg), in collaboration with the Asia & Pacific Seed Alliance (APSA), initiated a two-day event to showcase latest innovations in vegetable breeding.
The APSA-WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium held its first tomato & pepper field day at ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, India on 9 May 2022, welcomed 134 vegetable breeders and researchers representing 31 companies from nine countries and territories (France, Hong Kong-China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Brazil, Sri Lanka and Thailand). Scientists demonstrated the 2021 APSA-WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium exclusive lines for consortium members to observe and evaluate a total of 12 tomato, 4 chili and 4 sweet pepper lines under Indian conditions.
The consortium conducted a hybrid annual workshop on 10 May 2022 at ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, India after two consecutive years of virtual workshops and attended by a total of 174 participants. Consortium members get early access to newly developed WorldVeg vegetable breeding lines and the opportunity to join special projects to address research priorities for generating knowledge and materials for developing improved varieties.
For more details on the annual workshop and field day, see news link here.
The special project “Development of Tomato Lines for Resistance to Sucking & Feeding Pests” was launched with the aim for seed companies to incorporate insect resistance into tomato cultivars that enable farmers to reduce pesticide use and produce high quality tomatoes. The registration closing date for this project has been extended to November to leave more time for consortium companies to discuss internally and make decisions as well as for WorldVeg scientists to get more data on the project. If you are interested in this project, please don’t hesitate to click the link here for more details and registration.
A Bitter Gourd Open Field Day will be held on 26th July 2022 at WorldVeg’s Research & Training Station at Kamphaeng Saen, Thailand to demonstrate WorldVeg's genetically broad based and fixed, top new bitter gourd lines of all the market segments bred through recurrent selection. Click the link here for registration.
After this Field Day, a Global Bitter Gourd Breeding Project "Growing new markets with better bitter gourd genetics: WorldVeg's moeoecious, gynoecious and predominantly female lines of different market segments developed through recurrent selection to breed breakthrough hybrids" will be launched in September 2022 through APSA-WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium. More details will be provided later.
WorldVeg will organize 39th International Vegetable Training Course focusing on “POST-HARVEST MANAGEMENT FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLES!” on 21-25, November 2022. All 2022 APSA-WorldVeg Consortium members can enjoy 20% discount on tuition fee. We will provide more details later.
If you have any problem or need help from APSA Secretariat, pls contact APSA Partnership Program Manager Ms. Xiaofeng Li at xiaofeng@apsaseed.org
Ms. Xiaofeng Li
APSA Partnership Program Manager
Standing Committees and Special Interest Groups
Thank you very much Ms Xiaofeng Li for the detailed updates from the APSA-World Veg Consortium and other projects.
Next, let us move on to updates from APSA’s Standing Committees and Special Interest Groups. Following is a summary review of our activities this month:
Starting with an update from our Standing Committee on Seed Technology:
The committee keeps each other updated via email on several topics. First is on the preparation of the 2022 Seed Technology Webinar session 1 on seed dormancy as Mike has already mentioned in the upcoming events section. The seed dormancy is a very attractive topic that we have received more than a hundred participant registrations. Registration will close on Friday the 3rd of June 2022 so you’d better hurry to secure your spot. Besides, the committee is working on the new initiative of APSA Recognition Award for the most influential seed technologist in the APAC Seed Sector. Stay tuned for more updates on this!
Let us move to an update from the Standing Committee on Intellectual Property Rights and Biodiversity.
This month the committee has been exchanging updates with each other and welcomes a new committee member, Mr Surya Rao Rongali, who is Lead - Seed Regulatory, India of Syngenta India Private Limited. He will join the committee meeting for the first-time next month.
The committee also looks forward to attending the upcoming the RCEP Forum on Intellectual Property (IP) Protection in Seed Industry “Regional cooperation on IP protection and enforcement system to promote seed trade and technological innovation for food security” to be held online on June 2nd as Mike has already explained earlier. The next committee meeting will be organized in June.
Next is an update from the Standing Committee on International Trade & Quarantine:
The committee would like to express sincere appreciation to our Co-Chair, Ms Abgail Struxness from the American Seed Trade Association for her great contribution to APSA SC International Trade & Quarantine since November 2019. The Co-Chair position is now vacant and will be updated soon.
On another note, the committee has approved a new member application of Mr Surya Rao Rongali Lead - Seed Regulatory, India of Syngenta India Private Limited. Mr Rongali will join the first SC ITQ committee meeting next month.
The group did not have a committee meeting this month but is still working tediously on the preparation of the 8th Phytosanitary Expert Consultation to be held in August, as well as to update each other on policy advocacy initiatives.
Next is an update from SIG Field Crops:
The committee joined the APSA 2022 Field Crops Webinar session 1 held on May 26th under the theme of Agronomy and Digital Interventions to Improve Productivity for Farmers. The SIG Field Crops Chair, Dr Frisco M Malabanan opened the session and introduced Dr Sadawud Koonmanee, Member of APSA SIG Field Crops to introduce the two speakers; Dr Zhang Minghua, Assistant researcher from Key Laboratory of Key Technology on Agricultural Machine and Equipment, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University to present on the New Technologies and Equipment for Direct Rice Seeding (DSR), and the second speaker, Dr KRK Reddy, Managing Director of Sri BioAesthetics who presented on the Alternative Nutrient Management Technology for Field Crops: Application of Microbiome Technologies. It was a very informative session with fruitful discussion and Q&A from participants.
The committee looks forward to having a meeting next month to plan for the 2nd Field Crops webinar to be held in August.
As for an update from the Special Interest Group on Vegetables and Ornamentals or SIG Veg & Orn had a committee meeting on May 31st to discuss on several topics such as the planning of SIG V&O technical session in November, the study tour agenda in September and the Seed quality management workshop planning. In the meeting, the subgroups of R&D advisory committee, WIC and DRT also provided updates on their current activities.
The Working Group of Integrated Vegetable Seed Companies or WIC members are focusing on the preparation of the upcoming activities which are the Cucurbit Disease Management Workshop to be held in Khon Kaen, Thailand in July. The event has received a lot of interests and the registration is now closed. They are also working on an MOU for the University Connect Program. So, stay turned for more updates!
The R&D Advisory Group had a very productive and memorable event this month with the 4th Asian Solanaceous Roundtable, which was held at the Auditorium, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru on May 11-13 Organized by APSA in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) and Society for Promotion of Horticulture, the
event was very successful with 171 delegates joining from 41 companies from Bangladesh, India, Chinese Taipei and Thailand. The itinerary featured 49 experts from 26 leading organizations in breeding technology, production technology and seed technology, including private enterprises, public research and training institutes focused on solanaceous crops in India, Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Israel, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and the US.
Topics covered include modern breeding techniques; disease and pest resistance; genomics and genome editing; germplasm diversity and plant variety protection; emerging dynamics of thrips species in pepper; the past and future of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in egg plant; application of AI and digital technology for high-throughput phenotyping; technology platforms to address training requirements and public private partnerships to enhance respective capacities in the Asia and Pacific region.
We would like to convey our sincere appreciation to co-organizers, and the APSA R&D Advisory Committee, especially Chair Dr Seetharam Annadana and the Chair of ASRTs Organizing Committee, Dr Conrado Balatero, Dr G. Radhakrishnan and Dr Shreeshail Hadapad who made this event very successful. Besides, the ASRT 4 was made possible thanks to the following generous sponsors: Sygenta (Diamond); East-West Seed (Platinum); Nongwoo Bio India and Takii Seed (Gold); and Lal Teer (Silver).
On another memorable note during the ASRT 4 inaugural session, representatives from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Asia and Pacific Seed Alliance Ltd. (APSA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), demonstrating mutual commitment of knowledge, expertise, and resources to promote agricultural research in India and the greater region.
The MoU – which was signed by ICAR Deputy Director General (Horticulture), and APSA Vice-President, Dr. Manish Patel, with ICAR Assistant Director General (Horticulture Science), Dr. Vikramaditya Pandey, and APSA’s Chair of R&D Advisory Group (Vegetables & Ornamentals), Dr. Seetharam Annadana, also signing as witnesses – provides a strong, guiding framework for which to pursue international cooperation through the public-private partnership model in order to enhance capacities in research and development for the benefit and betterment of the seed sector across the Asia-Pacific region.
Another key highlight of the ASRT 4 was the felicitation ceremony, which concluded the inaugural session on 11 May. The first two researchers – Dr. Surinder K. Tikoo of Tierra Seed Science and Dr. Simon Jan de Hoop of East-West Seed – were thanked and acknowledged for their service to the APSA R&D Advisory Group.
The third scientist congratulated was honored as part of APSA’s recognition awards program, initiated last year to Dr. Peter Hanson, who is retiring as Lead Scientist, Global Plant Breeding from World Vegetable Center. He was named last November by an APSA led jury as the Most influential plant breeding researcher for horticulture crops (public sector) in the Asia-Pacific.
For more information, please refer to APSA news: ASRT 4 kicks off in Bengaluru - APSA Seed
The Disease Resistance Terminology Working Group or DRT
The members have been submitted a list of pathogens with available resistant claims in their own companies. They had an online meeting on May 25th to discuss on the compile file to select a new crop and pathogen to work on. At the end of the meeting, DRT members have decided to proceed with the current 2 sub-groups of 1) Bitter gourd powdery mildew and 2) Watermelon Fusarium wilt. The bitter gourd sub-group is proceeding with co-applicants’ application to the Indian National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), where the watermelon sub-group is adding more details of the resistant source before finalizing the action plan and way forward.
This is all for now for SC/SIG updates. All minutes of SIG/SC meetings can be viewed by APSA members by logging in APSA website and go to member area. Thank you very much and stay tuned for more updates next month. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Kunaporn Phuntunil
APSA Technical Coordination Manager
As part of APSA’s digitalization and digitization strategy, in 2022 we’re offering active members even more ways to directly reach Asia-Pacific seed industry decision makers directly -- 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 2022 Digital Media Sponsorship Rates and Media Kit:
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Email: (komsak@apsaseed.org) or Mike (mike@apsaseed.org)
International
SAA Congress registration: Early bird registration for the Seed Association of Americas 2022 Congress ends on May 31. . .
2022 AOSA SCST Annual Meeting registration update: The Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) and Society of Commercial Seed Technologists (SCST) in the US will be having their annual meeting in person from 5–9 June in Skokie, Illinois. . . .
2022 AOSCA Annual Meeting set for Washington: To be held June 19–22, 2022 at the Wenatchee Convention Center at the Stanley Civic Center in Wenatchee, Washington, the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies, (AOSCA) Annual Meeting will be held as an in-person event after a two-year hiatus. . . .
Access to Seeds Round Table event: May 24: The World Benchmarking Alliance’s Acces to Seeds Index team hosted an insightful roundtable forum online, which specifically focused on how Governance and Strategy . . .
73rd World Seed Congress held in Spain: The International Seed Federation (ISF) with the Spanish seed associations ANOVE and APROSE from 16-18 May co-organised. . . .
FAO calls on G7 to address food shortages: May 13: The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has called on G7 nations to help anticipate future food shortages. . .
New EC elected at ISTA annual Congress: May 11: The International Seed Testing Association held its 33rd Congress in Cairo, Egypt, from 8–11 May. . . .
First IDPH marked by ISF, IPPC and FAO: May 12: The International Seed Federation (ISF) together with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) celebrated the first International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) on May 12. . . .
Significant gene-editing policy changes in Europe: May 10: IHS Markit reports on how the Ukraine-Russia conflict has demonstrated fragility and vulnerability of global and European food supply chains:. . . : India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change CS-III (Biosafety Division) is now exempting organisms modified using two types of Site-Directed Nuclease technology (SDN1 and SDN2) . . .
Read more on international seed industry news page
Australia
Optimistic canola crop forecast: May 16: The Australian Oilseeds Federation (AOF) has forecast for 3.3 million hectares to be planted with canola in the 2022–2023 season. . .
Veg, fruit prices to hike as result of Queensland floods: May 16: Floods at Queensland’s southern interior’s Mary, Condamine, Balonne, Thompson and Cooper river and creek catchments are expected to . . .
Aus-UK led study pinpoints genetic driver for increased protein in wheat: May 11: Researchers from the University of Adelaide working with counterparts at the UK’s John Innes Centre have identified a genetic driver that improves yield traits in wheat. .
GM wheat approved for food safety: May 11: Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved an application by Trigall Genetics for the sale and use of food produced with a transgenic variety of wheat. The HB4 wheat variety, with gene technology IND-00412-7 has been approved by the Australian and New Zealand regulator to enter the food supply via imported processed products,. . .
Night Cap Oak saplings planted in NSW: May 7: About 50 saplings from nightcap oak trees, a species which was gravely affected by the 2019–2020 ‘black summer’ bush fires, were propagated and planted at undisclosed locations. . .
Farmers on lookout for new rat infestation: May 8: Farmers in Farmers in northern NSW, central Queensland, north western Victoria, the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia and the wheat belt in Western Australia . . .
Read more Australia seed industry news
Bangladesh
Joypurhat field crop seed exhibition: May 27: A seed production exhibition has been set up in the district of Joypurhat in northern Bangladesh to promote production of high quality seeds of paddy, wheat and jute seed production. . . .
Domestic seed supply is billion dollar business: May 18 $1.1 bn seed market: May 18: Seeds worth around Tk 100 billion ($1.1 billion) are being sold in the country every year, with rice seeds leading in demand, followed by vegetable seeds, especially tomato and cucumber seeds.. . .
Read more Bangladesh seed industry news
Cambodia
Rice farmers urged to hurry up and plant as heavy rains loom: May 27: The Siem Reap Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has urged farmers to expedite field plowing and rice planting in anticipation of increased rain this year.. .
Aus ag support project to end, as new one to commence: May 25: The Australian Government's Cambodia-Australia Agricultural Value Chain (CAVAC) program which has provided about $ 92 million in assistance to Cambodia over the past 10 years, will conclude in June 2022. . . .
Tbong Khmum rice sowing update: May 9: Commencing the rainy season, farmers in Tbong Khmum province have plowed their fields to grow three types of rice. . .
Read more Cambodia seed industry news
China
Seed business excels as govt subsidizes grain farmers: May 29: The central government has reportedly allocated a 10 billion yuan fund to subdize grain farmers in the face of surging agricultural commodity prices. . . .
Addressing seed industry bottlenecks in Hainan: May 30: The Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, which is tasked with implementing national seed industry development strategies and advancing biological breeding technology, is carrying out a number of initiatives to address seed industry bottlenecks. . . .
Heilongjiang cold storage expansion complete: May 29: A reconstruction and expansion project benefiting China’s only cold region crop germplasm resource bank – the Heilongjiang cold region crop germplasm resource bank – has been completed. . . .
Shaanxi spring sowing update: May 27: According to the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, as of May 27, 18.23 million mu of grain crops had been sown in the province this spring, or 91.61% of the target. . . .
Sichuan farmer compensated for failed corn seeds: May 26: Following a farmer complaint investigation and mediation led by the Consumer Rights Protection Committee of Ebian Yi Autonomous County, Leshan City, Sichuan Province, a villager in Songlinpo Village has been compensated for the failure of corn seeds he recently sowed on 5 acres of land. . . .
Space seeds to be bred in Inner Mongolia: May 24: The Shenzhou 13 spacecraft successfully has returned to earth with astronauts And about 12,000 seeds that have mutated in the extreme atmosphere of space orbit. . . .
More from China seed industry news
India
Seed distribution via blockchain in Jharkhand: May 30: The Directorate of Agriculture is distributing seeds of various crops to farmers through a blockchain based seed traceability platform. . . .
Indian seed market to double in next five years: May 28: The Indian market for vegetable seeds has much room for growth and is expected to nearly double in the next five years. . .
Wheat, onion seed exports prohibited: May 14: Citing food security reasons, the Indian Government has halted export of wheat, as well as onion seeds, with immediate effect. . . .
Bayer to introduce new veg hybrids in India: May 11: Head, vegetables (research and development) at Bayer Crop Science, Johannes D Rossouw, revealed that the multinational firm is planning to introduce hybrid varieties of high-yielding and disease-resistant vegetable seeds into the India market soon. . .
Illegal HtBt cotton seed sales hit industry hard: May 8: Ram Kaundinya, Director General of Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) notes that illegal HtBt cotton seeds are being produced by operators mostly in Gujarat. . .
Four booked, licenses revoked in spurious seed supply case: May 5: Police in Rajpura have booked three dealers and a Hyderabad-based private seed company. . .
More from India Seed Industry news
Indonesia
Counterfeit seed operation dismantled: May 30: The West Java Regional Police have reportedly dismantled a counterfeit tomato seed operation in damage to PT East West Seed Indonesia. . . .
Subsidizing rice seeds in Badung: May 30: Regency officials have publicized their efforts to subsidize rice seeds so as to increase productivity while maintaining the stability of people's food security. . . .
DNA testing of plantation seeds necessary: May 27: DNA testing on Plantation Plant Seeds has been deemed as “very necessary” as part of efforts to determining the origin and authentication of seeds in the plantation crop seed system. . . .
Biofortified rice distributed in Bombana: May 27: The Government of Bombana Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, through the Department of Agriculture and Livestock,. . .
Vegetable seeds distributed in North Luwu: May 14: Vegetable seeds were distributed free of charge to a number of villagers in North Luwu Regency . . .
More from Indonesia Seed Industry news
Japan
Fertilizer shortage in global supply crunch: May 25: Surging fertilizer prices is causing concern for Japan’s agriculture industry as the country has relied on Russia and Belarus for up to 30 percent of its potassium chloride imports. . . .
Food self sufficiency challenges: May 13: A shortage of agricultural labor and farmland in Japan threatens the country’s prospects for food security In 1960, the East Asian nation reportedly was fully self sufficient for rice, fruits and vegetables, and nearly so for meats. . .
More from Japan Seed Industry News
Korea
‘Red Shine’ new succulent variety: May 30: The Cactus Succulents Research Institute at the Gyeonggi Agricultural Research and Development Institute announced that it has developed a new variety of the crown of thorns plant (Euphorbia milii) for Korea. . . .
Planting in Gangwon province affected by dryness: May 27: Although the farming season has arrived, farmers in Gangwon-do are increasingly worried as damage to field crops and rice farming has spread throughout Gangwon-do due to sustained drought conditions. . . .
Pyeongchang county seed project: May 19: Officials in Pyeongchang-gun plan to carry out a seed industry foundation support project to establish a base for the efficient propagation and distribution of excellent seeds and seedlings for food, horticulture, and special crops to farmers next year. . . .
Endangered plants, seeds exhibition: May 6: A photo exhibition of seeds of endangered and endangered plants from the Korean Peninsula was held at the At the Hantaek Botanical Garden in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do earlier in May. . . .
Gyeonggi Suwon Seed Library: May 5: A seed library that lends seeds of various native plants to locals who return crops and seeds they produce.
Various kinds of seeds produced in Korea are loaned out as if borrowing a book from the library. . . .
More from Korea seed industry news
Myanmar
Fuel, food prices soar: Gasoline prices in some parts of Myanmar have risen by 253 percent , according to a recent survey by ActionAid. This has had knock-on effects for the runaway prices of other essential inputs and food items. . . .
More from Myanmar seed industry news
Low quality chili hybrids blamed for poor production: May 30: Low quality hybrid seeds have been noted by agriculture experts, farmers and scientists for sub-standard chili production. . . .
Pakistan
Chinese breeding technology a boon for Pakistani ag: May 30: The Chairman of the Pakistan Hi Tech Hybrid Seed Association (PHHSA) Shahzad Ali Malik has been quoted as praising Chinese breeding technology for helping Pakistani farmers to easily cultivate high-yield, disease resistant new rice varieties for exports. . . .
Win-all Hi-Tech to introduce new crop seeds in Pakistan: May 18: The Vice President of China Seed Association, Zhang Qin has revealed that her company plans to promote corn, cotton, wheat, and vegetable seeds in . . .
Record sesamum seed export to China in Q1: May 16: Pakistan exported a record $45.99 million worth of sesamum seeds to China in the first quarter of 2022, which represents a 102.49 percent increase over the first quarter of 2022. . . .
More from Pakistan seed industry news
Philippines
Potato supply crunch, reduced planting: May 25: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has confirmed that there is a global shortage of the type of potato or potato that are used to produce french fries. . . .
Agriculture Secretary warns of looming food crisis: May 19: Agriculture Secretary William Dar warned of the impending food crisis exasperated by the persisting effects of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. . . .
DA warns against selling its free rice seeds: May 18: The Cauayan City Agriculture Office has warned against the sale of rice seeds that were distributed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) . . .
Push for rice price stabilization bill: May 17: There is a push by some politicians for the passage of House Bill 477 which aims to stabilize farm gate prices of rice at P20-P25/kilo. . . .
More from the Philippines seed industry news
Thailand
Genome editing food safety guidelines drafted: May 3: The Food Safety Assessment of Organisms Derived from Gene Editing Technology Technical Biosafety Committee (TBC),. . .
More from Thailand seed industry news
Turkey
Seed R&D in Konya: May 23: Emphasizing the importance of local seeds, Chamber of Agricultural Engineers (ZMO) Konya Branch . . .
3 tons of domestic hybrid sunflower seeds planted in Tekirdağ: May 19: In Tekirdağ, 3 tons of domestic hybrid sunflower seeds were distributed to farmers. . . .
Turkey seed sufficiency increased to 90pc in 2021: May 4: Highlighting leaps taken to makeTurkey more self-sufficient country in seeds, Turkish Seed Association (TÜRKTOB) President Savaş Akcan revealed in an interview that while 1.25 million tons of certified seeds . . .
More from Turkey seed industry news
Vietnam
Can Tho’s rice seed bank: May 30: The Faculty of Agriculture Can Tho University hosts one of Viet Nam’s largest rice seed banks, where more than 3,000 rice varieties are preserved. . . .
Rice and corn seeds allocated for Thua Thien Hue and Quang Tri: May 20: Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai on May 20 signed Decision No. 629/QD-TTg directing the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to issue 2,400 tons of . . .
Seed treatment helps prevent leaf blast: May 12: Bayer Vietnam has launched “Routine Start 280FS” a seed treatment solution to help Mekong Delta rice farmers improve germination rates. . .
More from Vietnam seed industry news
The above is only a sample of what’s new. For more of all the latest news updates from around the region, visit our respective news portals by country:
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China |
India |
Indonesia |
Japan |
Korea, South |
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Laos |
Malaysia |
Myanmar |
Nepal |
New Zealand |
Pakistan |
Philippines |
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International |
Asian Seed magazine Vol. 28 No.1 (Quarter 1, January - March 2022)
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In 2022’s first issue of Asian Seed & Planting Material there is a lot of timely and topical content. The cover theme and story of the issue is about the harmonization and international seed trade treaties rules, standards, obligations and terms, providing an overview and introduction to important foundational texts such as TRIPS, UPOV 1991, ITPGRFA and Nagoya Protocol, specifically ifrom the perspective of Asian Pacific countries. The President’s Address talks about the impacts of the Ukraine-Russia conflict and how the resilience of the seed industry will persist through this ‘trial’ just as we are with respect to the pandemic. A jumper of updates are provided in the Executive Director’s Address, including on APSA’s recent and upcoming progress, initiatives, events and collaborations. There is also some topical contributions from Access to Seeds Index and IHS Markit analysis of the regional and global seed sector landscapes, respectively. In addition, there are comprehensive updates from APSA Technical Affairs, other news and upcoming events. The issue can be downloaded by clicking the thumbnail.
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