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Everyone brace, and pace yourselves as the 2020 finish line approaches...Though it may still be too early to pop the champagne bottle, as there is still an entire month to go before we can finally exhale a big sigh of relief and say "We survived 2020!", it's not too early to say congratulations to all APSA members: yes, we made it! APSA last week successfully concluded our first ever virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) and technical sessions, and we have so much great news to report to you here.
For starters, we're pleased to announce our new President, Vice Presdent, Treasurer, and one new EC member to round off our "sweet-16". Besides, anyone who attended technical sessions deserves a 'level up' for all the useful and timely knowledge they would have gained, if not bestowed on others.
Speaking of technical sessions and exciting, new knowledge delivered digitally through your monitor and speakers, check out some upcoming events and other useful content in the latest edition of the magazine...
Keep reading for more highlights and leads...
* Revised Budget for 2021 approved: Taking into consideration Covid-19 and the associated economic implications on trade and travel, a new budget, including expenditure and revenue forecast to reflect the actual situation was presented, and approved
*Constitutional Amendments: To ensure APSA continues to be legally compliance requirements to operate in Singapore and Thailand
* APSA Adopts Position Paper on Plant Breeding Innovation
* Members elect new EC Member (Seed Enterprise)
* Handover of APSA Presidency
*AGM # 3 & Asian Seed Congress 2021 Venue, Dates Announced
Read on for full details.
Mr. Wichai Laocharoenpornkul, General Manager at East-West Seed Company Limited, Thailand, began his tenure as the new President of the Asia and Pacific Seed Alliance (APSA).
Mr Wichai’s two-year presidency commenced during APSA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), held remotely on November 26.
In his final address to the virtual AGM, outgoing president Mr Tahir Saleemi, CEO at Haji Sons Group in Pakistan, expressed gratitude for the hard work and support of all members during his tenure, which he described as “a brief yet significant chapter of APSA’s history.”
Immediate Past President, Mr. Tahir, will serve as an Office Bearer in an advisory capacity for one more year in accordance with the APSA Constitution.
Stepping up as Vice President will be Dr. Manish Patel, Director at Incotec India Pvt LT , who was elected by the 16-member APSA Executive Committee (EC) on November 27.
Having served as an Office Bearer (OB) and Vice President during a past tenure on the APSA EC (2013-2015), Dr Patel was re-elected to the APSA EC in 2018, and subsequently appointed Treasurer.
Aside from his role as Vice President and OB, Dr Patel serves as Co-chair of APSA’s Standing Committee on Seed Technology (Chaired by Johan Van Asbrouck of Rhino Research).
Holding a Ph.D and M.Sc in Plant Breeding & Genetics (Agriculture science) from the Gujarat Agriculture University, Dr, Patel has more than two decades’ experience in the seed industry — in India and internationally — especially in the area of seed science and technology.
To fill the vacancy of Treasurer, the APSA EC elected Mr. Teck Wah Koh, who is Head, Legal APAC for Syngenta, and who has responsibility for the legal affairs of both Syngenta’s Crop Protection and Seeds businesses in APAC. The Singaporean is also a member of Syngenta’s APAC Regional Leadership Team and is on the Board of Directors of the various Syngenta legal entities in Singapore
At the November 26 AGM, APSA Members also elected Ms Amanda Forster, Seed and Trait Strategy Regulatory Lead at Bayer Crop Sciences, who was elected under the Seed Enterprise member category. Ms Forster will serve on the EC for her initial three-year tenure (2021 to 2023).
Aside from this, APSA embers also voted to amend the association’s constitution, including provisions that facilitate more flexibility to host and facilitate virtual meetings and electronic ballots.
(Click to enlarge photo in new window)
Click here for full announcement
All presentations from the technical sessions will be shared with APSA members who registered and attended the technical sessions in due course. Meanwhile, you may get a good teaser from the sessions by listening to this month's podcast, which includes an audio montage of highlights from the sessions!
For any questions about the sessions or presentations, please email Kuna@apsaseed.org
There are a number of exciting and interesting seed industry events taking place right now and in the coming weeks. For full list of upcoming events, visit our Events Calendar here. Meanwhile, following are some highlights of what’s going on in the immediate future:
ASTA’s CSS & Seed Expo Virtual (December 7 – 9, 2020): The ASTA CSS & Seed Expo 2020 will be held December 7 - 9, 2020 in a virtual trade show format. Join the American seed industry's largest exhibition event which will feature a new virtual opportunity for participating exhibitors to reach a larger audience than ever before. Click here for more details and to register.
Under the hood of APSA R&D Advisory Group, the Asian Solanaceous and Cucurbits Roundtable (ASCRT) will be arranged as a series of 'Crop Improvement Expert Talk Webinars'. APSA invites experts from the vegetable breeding sector to talk on the recent problems and potential solutions in vegetables breeding. There will be one webinar every 2 months, with the second event planned in February, 2021.
Registration free for all active APSA Members. Click here.
Last but not least, we are pleased to announce that Asian Seed Congress 2021
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