The meetings were initiated by ThaSTA in response to an increase in cases being pressed by the Department of Agriculture (DoA) after inspections of “unexpired” seeds collected at numerous points of retail revealed substandard germination rates.
Thailand’s Plants Act requires commercial-standard seeds (unexpired) to have germination rates of no less than 80 per cent.
APSA has translated the recommendations for the maximum retail shelf life, listed in months (original Thai document here) as follows:
| Crop Seed | Hybrid |
OP |
| Green okhra | 24 | 12 |
| Garlic (leaf) | 6 | |
| Cabbage, Cauliflower Chinese Kale, broccoli | 18 | 18 |
| Paddy | 24 | 24 |
| Corn feed | 18 | |
| Waxy corn | 18 | 12 |
| Baby corn | 18 | |
| Sweet corn | 6 | 6 |
| Sorghum | 18 | |
| Cantaloupe, muskmelon, melon | 18 | |
| Cucumber | 24 | 18 |
| watermelon | 18 | 12 |
| Yardlong Bean | 18 | |
| Pea | 12 | |
| Mung bean | 12 | |
| Black gram | 12 | |
| Soya | 6 | |
| Sunflower | 12 | |
| Luffa / ridge gourd | 24 | 12 |
| Bok Choi & Napa Cabbage | 18 | 18 |
| Mustard greens | 18 | 18 |
| Lettuce | 12 | |
| Chinese Raddish | 18 | 18 |
| Coriander | 12 | |
| Water Spinich | 18 | |
| Chilli | 24 | 12 |
| Sweet pepper | 18 | |
| Pumpkin | 24 | 12 |
| Wax Gourd | 24 | 12 |
| Bitter Gourd | 18 | 18 |
| Eggplant, Thai Eggplant | 24 | 12 |
| Tomato | 24 | 18 |
| Onion | 12 | |
| Papaya | 12 | 12 |
A Thai seedman displays his goods at an agriculture fair in Suphanburi back in June. Photo ThaSTA[/caption]
ThaSTA affirmed that it would distribute the recommendations to all of its members and associates.
The DoA, in close cooperation with ThaSTA, the Seed Association of Thailand and APSA, are working to develop Thailand into global seed production hub.
