Africa
April, 2008
Source: Electronic newsletter of
the African Seed Trade
Association (AFSTA)
By Susan Miyengi, Assistant to the Secretary General
The eighth annual AFSTA Congress
was held in the beautiful city of Casablanca from the 26 – 29
February 2008. The Opening Ceremony was graced by the Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries.
AFSTA Congress 2008 Opening ceremony officiated by the PS
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
of Morocco The congress 2008 drew the highest number of
participants with 250 delegates from 35 countries, including
representatives from regional and international bodies. The mood
at the congress was that of great
satisfaction and the quality of presentations and level of
participation of the delegates were regarded as excellent.
It was an excellent opportunity for the delegates to discuss and
exchange information and views amongst themselves. All the
technical sessions on important topics such as:
- overview of seed
regulation in the Northern African countries and its impact
on seed trade: analysis and way forward,
- the African seed industry
facing the challenges of globalization: analysis and way
forward,
- milestones reached in
harmonization of seed regulations,
- latest development in
plant variety protection,
- seed alliances and the
role of AFSTA,
- etc.
The congress was preceded
by two half-day workshops:
- One on “Seed
Certification” facilitated by the ISTA and OECD and
- the other workshop on
“Seed Care” facilitated by Syngenta.
Objectives for AFSTA
continue to be the organization of technical training
related to seeds to build capacity of its members in
2008/2009 among others, strengthening the knowledge of
its membership about latest in technology developments
as concerns seeds and seed marketing. It will continue
to actively support the seed legislation harmonization
process in the sub-regions.
The AFSTA annual congress is surely establishing itself
as an event to look forward to and eyes are now cast at
the next congress 2009 to be held at the Cape Sun
International Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa
from 2 – 6 March 2009. The National Organizing
Committee for AFSTA Congress 2009 is working hard to
ensure
that the Congress will meet your expectations in every
aspect. View the
full AFSTA newsletter
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Electronic newsletter
of the African Seed Trade
Association (AFSTA)
(PDF) |
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News from the Seed Trade
Association of Mali (ASSEMA)
AFSTA congress 2008 in brief
Progress in seed trade
harmonization in Southern and
Eastern Africa
Uganda approves national
biotechnology and biosafety
Memorandum of understanding on
implementation of SADC
harmonized seed regulatory
system on the cards |
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