Changing of the guard: Midterms & milestones

It has been a busy second quarter for APSA. In April, APSA's Working Group for Integrated Vegetable Seed Companies (WIC) held their midterm meeting in Bangkok, marking the first in-person gathering of its kind since the pandemic. Originally established as a sub-group under the Special Interest Group of Vegetables and Ornamentals, the WIC group has evolved into a significant main group in its own right. The pressing issues on the WIC's agenda have a profound impact on seed research, production, and trade, making them relevant to all APSA members, regardless of their business category. I strongly encourage everyone to read the complete report from the latest WIC meeting, which can be found on page 32 of this issue.

Immediately following the WIC midterm meeting, we successfully conducted our annual seed association meeting. This year, we made a significant change by hosting the meeting independently of the Asian Seed Congress, unlike previous years when it was just a two-hour sideline event. Recognizing the importance of this meeting and our engagement with national seed bodies, we decided to allocate a two-day program and provide a dedicated platform to comprehensively review and discuss priorities in the region.

In this magazine, you will find summaries of several seed associations, and the APSA Secretariat has also prepared a detailed internal report, which will be made available exclusively to APSA members. The decision to allocate two full days for this crucial meeting and hold it earlier in the year has already garnered positive feedback from attendees. We only wonder why we didn't adopt this format sooner.

Indeed, seed associations play a pivotal role within APSA, serving as our direct link to various public sector stakeholders, researchers, and farmers in their respective territories. Two hours were hardly enough to establish connections, let alone identify, understand, and address key issues. Nonetheless, we eagerly anticipate continued engagement with all association representatives, including those who could not attend this year's meeting. This engagement will be sustained throughout the year, both in person and online.

During the first week of June, my colleague Dr. Shivendra Bajaj (APSA Technical Advisor) and I travelled to Cape Town in South Africa for the International Seed Federation’s World Seed Congress. Aside from catching up with colleagues from throughout the world, we made the most of this opportunity to renew and initiate collaboration with key stakeholders – including discussing proposals with the ISF and CGIAR. We will share more details on this is the near future.

Another significant event took place earlier this month when most of the APSA Board of Directors or Executive Committee traveled to Christchurch, New Zealand, the host city of the 2023 Asian Seed Congress in November. We held our first of three annual in-person meetings there (the other two will take place before and after the Congress).

With the addition of several new board members following last year's elections, this gathering provided an excellent opportunity to gain a clear understanding of the inner workings of APSA, including our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. We received comprehensive updates from the APSA Secretariat and engaged in progressive discussions and exchanges with all board members. We reviewed and voted on various internal matters and initiatives, which you can read about in this publication and our monthly newsletter.

With the inclusion of many new board members following last year's elections, this gathering provided a prime opportunity to clarify and comprehend the inner workings of APSA, including our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. We received comprehensive updates from the APSA Secretariat, and all board members actively contributed to discussions and exchanges. During this meeting, we reviewed and voted on several internal matters and initiatives, which you can read about in this publication and through our monthly newsletter.

In addition to this meeting, we had the privilege of inspecting the Te Pae Christchurch Convention Center, the venue for the Asian Seed Congress. This gave us an excellent opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the facilities and boost our confidence that this year's Congress will provide a unique and memorable experience. As our 28th Asian Seed Congress, it will be the first time hosting the event in New Zealand itself and only the second time in the Oceania region (previously held in Brisbane, Australia, in 1996). Therefore, we face several unique challenges, including the visa application process for citizens of many countries. It's important to note that visa processing can take between two weeks to a month after all required documentation has been submitted. To avoid any delays, we strongly recommend registering as a delegate and submitting all necessary paperwork as early as possible. For full details, please refer to our interview with the National Organizing Committee on page 38 and visit the Congress website.

Lastly, I would like to share an important event, the signing of our fourth Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for our University Connect Program. On June 29, we held an MoU Signing Ceremony with representatives from the China National Seed Trade Association and our latest partnering university, the College of Agronomy and Biotechnology of the China Agricultural University.

As mentioned in the previous issue of Asian Seed, the University Connect program is a new initiative of APSA. Only through increased cooperation and engagement with academic partners and our seed associations can we successfully build a strong future for the seed industry. This is just the beginning, and in the coming months, you can expect more news and partnerships through this program and many others that we actively pursue.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that APSA's Executive Director, Dr. Kanokwan "May" Chodchoey, has stepped down from her position to pursue other opportunities. We bid her farewell with a tinge of sadness but also happiness for her. During her tenure of five years at APSA, she has built a robust Secretariat team and established solid standard operating procedures. I have full confidence in the APSA Secretariat during this interim period as we seek new leadership. If you have any specific recommendations, comments, or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Until next time. Thank You.