Quality Seed | Quality Life
April 2024 Newsletter
Dear Members and Partners,
Greetings and welcome to the APSA 2024 Newsletter. I trust this message finds you well amidst the sweltering heat prevailing in our region during these months.
The fervor of this season has been palpably mirrored in our recent engagements with both our esteemed associates in the seed sector and our counterparts in the public sphere. In the third week of April, a series of meetings convened in Bangkok, marking significant milestones for APSA. Among these gatherings were sessions dedicated to the Working Group of Integrated Vegetable Seed Companies, seed associations, and the inaugural PVP and Biodiversity Regional Consultation.
Additionally, a seminar hosted at the National Science and Technology Development Agency of Thailand delved into the vital subjects of Plant Variety Protection and the conservation and utilization of genetic resources. The paramount importance of these discussions cannot be overstated, as they underpin the foundational work of plant breeders. Ensuring their ability to innovate hinges upon equipping them with the requisite tools and instituting mechanisms for the preservation of their innovations.
While the essence of these endeavors may seem straightforward, the regulatory landscape surrounding them is notably intricate, demanding a comprehensive understanding. Thus, it was imperative for APSA to convene a platform where both public and private sector stakeholders could converge, fostering dialogue and mutual inquiry on matters pertaining to PVP and biodiversity.
We are gratified to have had the opportunity to orchestrate this regional consultation, marking its inception. It is our fervent aspiration that this marks merely the commencement of a fruitful voyage towards a deeper comprehension of PVP and biodiversity, alongside collaborative efforts to advance these crucial domains. Furthermore, we are pleased to announce forthcoming alterations in the leadership of our standing committees and working groups, with further details to be disseminated by our technical team.
Ms. Francine Sayoc
APSA Executive Director
THANK YOU to our digital media sponsors
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APSA MEMBERSHIP Reminders and Updates
Let me start of with an important reminder that APSA’s membership term is from 1 January to 31 December, 2024. Membership renewal can be done from 1 January 2024 until 31 March, 2024 to maintain your active status in APSA.
After 31 March, if your membership is not renewed, your status will be SUSPENDED and this means you will not be able to register for any APSA activities. APSA Membership Fees are non-refundable, and we do not provide pro rata membership rates.
Please be advised that all members who still not yet renew your 2024 membership, you still be able to be viewed and downloaded. To view, print and/or make payment for your invoice, please visit APSA website. For your convenience, please CLICK HERE to view the Tutorial presentation on how to proceed for your APSA 2024 Membership Renewal invoice and payment process.
Since the start of 2024 through to today, we have a total of 352 active APSA Members who have renewed their 2024 Membership.
Please be informed that we have successfully opened a new bank account with Standard Chartered in Singapore, details are below. And we are happy to inform you that you will now be able to settle online payment via Credit / Debit Card. CLICK HERE to view the Tutorial presentation on how to proceed or follow the steps as following.
Step 1: Log in to your member portal. CLICK HERE
Step 2: Acknowledge the APSA Code of Conduct.
Step 3: Follow the instructions shown on the screen.
Step 4: or Click "Invoices" from the dashboard.
Step 5: Review your renewal invoice and proceed to pay.
BANK DETAILS:
Beneficiary's account name: ASIA AND PACIFIC SEED ALLIANCE LTD.
Beneficiary's bank name: Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited
Beneficiary's bank Branch: Battery Road
Beneficiary's bank code: 9496
Beneficiary's bank address: 6 Battery Road, #08-01, Singapore 049909
Beneficiary's Account number (USD): 01-0-600568-5
GIRO/Standing instructions – SCBLSG22XXX
Swift code or IBAN #: SCBLSG22XXX
Looking forward to your kind cooperation at your earliest convenience which will be highly beneficial for us and would be greatly appreciated.
Looking forward to your kind cooperation at your earliest convenience which will be highly beneficial for us and would be greatly appreciated.
Mr. Komsak Kamjing (Bobbie)
APSA Membership Coordination Manager
komsak@apsaseed.org
Mr. Komsak Kamjing (Bobbie)
APSA Membership Coordination Manager
APSA EVENTS
2024 Asian Solanaceous & Cucurbits Round Table (ASCRT 2024)
We regret to inform you that the APSA’s R&D Advisory Group has made the decision to postpone the 2024 Asian Solanaceous and Cucurbits Round Table (ASCRT 2024), which had initially been scheduled to be held 4 – 5 June 2024 in Los Banos, Philippines. We anticipate the rescheduled event to be held in Quarter 3 or 4 in Thailand and will inform you as soon as details are confirmed. So, please stay tuned for more details. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your kind understanding.
2024 APSA Large Seed Vegetables & Brassicaceae Okra (LSVBO) Thank God It's Friday
APSA is happy to announce a brand-new webinar series, the 2024 APSA Large Seed Vegetables & Brassicaceae Okra (LSVBO) Thank God It's Friday. This new webinar series will consist of 4 sessions covering large seed vegetables, Brassicaceae and okra in Asia and the Pacific Region and will be held on Friday with the months of March, June, September and November.
One-Time payment of the registration will allow access to all 4 webinar sessions. Additional benefits include access to APSA Seed Academy Platform in 2024 with certificate of attendance and record of each session and a special 5% discount for the same person to attend the physical 2024 APSA Asian Solanaceous-Cucurbit Roundtable (ASCRT 2024).
The second session of the LSVBO TGIF Webinar will be held Friday, 28 June 2024 and will focus on Okra. As we are now currently finalizing all details for speakers and their topics, more details are to follow soon. But for more details regarding registration fee, agenda and how to register, please visit https://web.apsaseed.org/events/2024-apsa-lsvbo-tgif-webinar-session-2
2024 Asian Seed Congress
We are happy to announce that registration for the 2024 Asian Seed Congress will open on the 2nd of May 2024!
The 2024 Asian Seed Congress will be held at the Mangrove Tree Resort Convention Center in Sanya, Hainan, China from the 2nd to the 6th of December 2024, and is co-hosted by the China National Seed Trade Association (CNSTA) with support from Sanya City Government and Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City (ZBTSC).
This year’s congress theme is “Riding the Wave of Growth in the Asia Pacific” and will introduce new Technical Sessions. Also available at this year’s congress will be 204 trading tables, 16 semi-private meeting rooms, 4 private meeting rooms and 70 regular exhibition booths and a minimum of 10 super booths.
We recommend all APSA Members to register early since acquiring a visa to enter China may take some time. Register now and also benefit from the discounted Early-Bird Registration Fee of 700 USD per delegate. ASC 2024 Early-Bird Registration will end 30 June 2024.
For more information on congress agenda, official floor plan, China Visa & Import Policy, how to register and other congress related details, please visit the official event page at https://web.apsaseed.org/asc2024
OTHER SEED INDUSTRY EVENTS
ISF World Seed Congress 2024 (May 7 – 9, 2024)
The International Seed Federation (ISF) and the Dutch National Organizing Committee (NOC) are preparing a very special congress on 27-29 May 2024 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. 2024 is a historic year for ISF as we mark our 100th anniversary. A hundred years ago, visionary seeds men from around the world convened to standardize commercial seed exchanges and promote international cooperation to support the increased international global seed movement. This moment marked the genesis of an organization that would become the voice of the global private seed industry. Join us as we celebrate not only the association’s century-long journey but also the transformative power of seeds to shape a food-secure future.
The Netherlands, a leader in plant breeding, propagation, and seed imports and exports, will gather seed professionals from all over the world for business, trading, exhibition, panel discussions, and plenty of networking opportunities. This congress is not to be missed!
For more details and how to register, please visit https://congress.worldseed.org/
Mike Kingapayom
APSA Event Manager
Welcome to Technical Affairs update. The same as before, let’s start with the APSA-WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium.
The 2024 consortium annual workshop will be held on May 7-9 in WorldVeg headquarters in Tainan. Around 80 participants will gather in Tainan to interact with the scientist on the scientific updates and view the performance of the 2024 exclusive lines. Please click here for more details of the Consortium membership and the annual workshop.
The registration of “Developing Host Resistance to Thrips in Chilli, a Multilateral Pre-Breeding Approach” project was extended to end of May to provide opportunities to more members to participate. Please hurry up if you are interested in this project, click the link HERE for more details.
If you have any problem or need help from APSA Secretariat, pls contact APSA Technical Program Manager Ms. Xiaofeng Li at xiaofeng@apsaseed.org
Ms. Xiaofeng Li
APSA Partnership Program Manager
Standing Committees and Special Interest Groups
And now an update on APSA Standing Committees and Special Interest Groups. Following is a summary review of the APSA SC/SIG activities in April:
Starting with the SC Plant Breeding Innovation:
An upcoming webinar on Plant Breeding Innovation (PBI) is being organized by the APSA Plant Breeding Innovation Committee. This event is scheduled to take place within the next three months. As it stands, the APSA secretariat is actively involved with the committee members in setting up an organizational committee specifically for this webinar. Currently, the secretariat and the committee members are engaged in discussions to finalize the topics that will be covered during the webinar. These discussions are aimed at ensuring that the webinar addresses the most relevant and current issues in the field of plant breeding innovation. By doing this, they hope to provide valuable insights and updates to participants, fostering a better understanding of PBI and promoting advancements in the field.
Let us move to an update from Standing Committee on Seed Technology:
The APSA Seed Technology Committee is actively preparing for the first session of the 2024 APSA Seed Technology Webinar, which will focus on the critical topics of seed extraction and post-harvest handling of seeds. This session is scheduled to take place tentatively on May 30th, marking it as an important date for professionals involved in the seed industry.
This webinar is part of a broader theme titled "Innovation in Seed Supply Chain," which suggests that the series will explore various technological advancements and innovative practices that can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the seed supply chain. The first session, focusing on seed extraction and post-harvest handling, is particularly crucial as these stages are pivotal in ensuring the quality and viability of seeds, which directly affects crop yield and profitability.
Details regarding the specific topics to be covered, the speakers, and how to register for the webinar will be made available in early May.
Next is an update from SC IPR & Biodiversity:
First and foremost, we would like to welcome the new SC IPR & Biodiversity Chair, Mr Fabrice Mattei from Rouse & Co. International (Thailand). Mr Mattei has been with APSA SC IPR & Biodiversity committee since 2021. With his 25 years of experiences integrating intellectual property rights, plant variety protection knowledge with climate change considerations, we look forward to more exciting activities under his leadership.
This month is also a busy month for the IPR & Biodiversity committee with 2 events related to PVP and biodiversity. Starting with the April 23 for APSA Seed Associations Meeting, with 15 associations from Asia Pacific and other regions joining in total 46 participants from countries/territory namely, Australia, Bangladesh, China, Chinese Taipei, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Asian Seed associations play an important role in promoting regional collaboration and strengthening the seed industry in our core focus areas (IPR, Plant Breeding Innovation, Seed Health & Trade Issues). In the meeting, the seed associations were provided knowledge on PVP and biodiversity to prepare them for the next days meeting of April 24-25, the flagship event under APSA Standing Committee for IPR & Biodiversity APSA REGIONAL PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSULTATION. It was organized for the first time with around 80 participants from government, seed associations and private seed sector. There are government officials joining from 11 countries namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. The event will never be successful without the support from APSA valued stakeholders, USDA, American Seed Trade Association, CropLife Asia, SEMAE, NSTDA and Department of Agriculture of Thailand. The event is a forum to discuss the crucial role of plant variety protection (PVP) in promoting plant breeding, the development of new varieties, and contributing to food security, emphasizing the need for effective PVP mechanisms to support both farmers' and breeders' rights. The last day of the event also discussed topics on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS).
Next is an update from the Standing Committee on International Trade & Quarantine:
The APSA Standing Committee on International Trade & Quarantine will not convene this month, as their next scheduled meeting is set for the second quarter. This timing aligns with the committee's structured agenda, which strategically spaces meetings to allow for comprehensive preparation and follow-up on ongoing issues and initiatives.
In addition, the committee is also preparing to lay the groundwork for the December Asian Seed Congress and the 11th Phytosanitary Expert Consultation, scheduled for 2025. Stay tuned.
Next is an update from SIG Field Crops:
Although there is no committee meeting this month, the committee actively seeks additional APSA members committed to enhancing the APAC seed sector, inviting like-minded individuals to join their collective efforts. With a focus on collaboration, they aim for a diverse membership to drive advancements in field crops. Productive deliberations led to plans for organizing a study tour and conducting a market size survey, fostering knowledge exchange within APSA, showcasing their dedication to inclusive representation and industry progress.
The APSA SIG Field Crops committee had a committee meeting this month with a few agenda for discussion. From the poll on where members want to visit for field crops study tour, Vietnam ranks the first favored destination for the upcoming study tour focused on significant crops such as corn, hybrid rice, and other essential vegetable crops. Garnering 49% of the votes, Vietnam stood out among other options, which included India and Thailand. All SIG Field Crops committee members are currently tasked with gathering detailed information to suggest additional crops and sites worth visiting, ensuring a comprehensive and educational experience.
Moving to the Special Interest Group on Vegetables and Ornamentals
The Special Interest Group on Vegetables and Ornamentals (SIG V&O) committee does not have a meeting scheduled for this month, in line with its usual quarterly meeting schedule. Nonetheless, the committee remains enthusiastic about the progress being reported by their specialized sub-groups: R&D AG, DRT and WIC. These sub-groups play a crucial role in driving forward the committee’s initiatives, focusing on advancing research, enhancing disease resistance, and innovating activities within the vegetable and ornamental seed sectors.
The Working Group of Integrated Vegetable Seed Companies or WIC
APSA WIC meeting was held successfully on April 22. In this occasion, we would like to welcome the new WIC Chair, Mr Sanjay Kumar Singh from Syngenta and Dr Ha Thuy Nguyen from Bayer. We are excited to the contribution and activities. We also would like to convey a sincere appreciation to the ex-Chair, Mr Takahiro Ando and ex-Co-Chair Mr Harendra K Singh for the great contributions and initiatives to WIC meeting for the past 2 years.
It was a fruitful hybrid meeting with 22 WIC members joining and 4 observers. There were interactive discussions regarding policy updates for example Variety registration in Viet Nam and Indonesia seed production rules and update on ongoing activities such as APSA University Connect Program and Disease Resistance Terminology and Seed Innovation and Protection Initiative (SIPI).
For The R&D Advisory Group,
The APSA R&D Committee along with the ASCRT Organizing Chair had an online meeting in mid-April and decided to make a difficult decision not to proceed with the event in the Philippines as Mike, our Events Manager will inform you more details in the events section.
On another happy note, the APSA-ICAR/IIHR 3-year collaborative project of "Breeding for Chilli Leaf Curl Disease (ChiLVD) and Southeast Asian Thrips (Thrips parvispinus) resistance in Chilli" has received an approval from the Indian government to conduct the project. Stay turned for more updates!
The Disease Resistance Terminology Working Group or DRT,
The bitter gourd powdery mildew subgroup and the watermelon fusarium wilt subgroup had the meeting in early April to update the working progress.
For the bitter gourd subgroup, it was agreed in the meeting to try to find alternate sources of bitter gourd seeds for research purpose with World Vegetable Center, while Acsen Hyveg is checking the number of seeds in each variety for the test required for export and other members to confirm if the number of seeds are enough for the test in each country. Meanwhile the agreement with the National Biodiversity Authority will be renewed to extend the research timeline.
For watermelon subgroup, the seeds have been harvested and ready to be sent. The working group is checking number of seeds to be sent per a company, while Chia Tai will be sharing a list of phytosanitary requirements to DRT Watermelon members.
This is all for now for the short SC/SIG updates. Thank you very much and stay tuned for more updates next month.
Kunaporn Phuntunil
APSA Technical Coordination Manager
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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) or Mike (mike@apsaseed.org)
Asian Seed magazine Vol. 30 No.1 (Quarter 1, January - March 2024)
In this first issue of Volume 30 of Asian Seed & Planting Material, there is a plethora of content covering the latest news from the Asia and Pacific Seed Alliance (APSA) and the greater APAC seed industry. Starting with an address from APSA President Dr. Manish Patel who recaps a productive first quarter representing APSA at a number of important Indian functions including the 11th Indian Seed Congress. APSA’s new Executive Director Francine Sayoc gives her first quarterly address, recalling her impressions from fresh visit to Sanya, China where the China Seed Congress was held, and where APSA will be organizing this year’s Asian Seed Congress in December. There’s also featured content about Türkiye seed industry; APSA’s 10th Expert Phytosanitary Consultation in the Philippines; and summaries from the 2023 Asian Seed Congress held last November in Christchurch, New Zealand. Finally, there’s a story about APSA's preparations and plans to mark its 30th Anniversary celebrations this year, as well as more timely and pertinent content and introduction to new members joining APSA’s various committees.
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