Istanbul, Turkey
July 28, 2008
 History
was made on 18 July in Istanbul, Turkey when the formation of
the new regional seed association was announced by 10 member
countries of the Economic
Cooperation Organization (ECO) region comprising of
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan.
The decision to form this association followed an intense
two-day consultative meeting amongst delegates, which was held
on 17-18 July under the aegis of the ECO Secretariat as part of
the intra-regional Technical Cooperation Project supported by
FAO and implemented jointly
with the International Center
for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Prior
to that a three-day regional workshop on harmonization of seed
regulations attended by more than 50 Senior Government officials
and representatives of the private sector, after discussing
technical and policy issues, endorsed harmonization and the need
for a regional association to translate this into a reality.
The delegates worked day and night reviewing the existing
opportunities for public-private partnerships and reached a
consensus to embark on the formation of the new regional seed
association that will represent the interests of all the member
countries and contribute to the development of the seed sector
in the region. In recognition of the advanced nature of the
Turkish seed industry and the leadership role it could play in
ensuring the visibility and viability of the association, the
delegates agreed to locate the headquarters of the regional seed
association in Ankara.
Also present at the meeting were international experts as well
as executives of the International Seed Federation (ISF)
representing the global seed industry and the Asia and Pacific
Seed Association (APSA) who shared their experiences in
facilitating seed security and seed trade.
ECO, FAO and ICARDA worked closely with member countries, and
particularly the Government of Turkey in facilitating the
meeting which lead to the formation of the regional seed
association. The membership of the association will be open to
all seed companies and service providers to the seed industry
from ECO region and beyond.
The ECO member countries collectively represent a huge seed
market worth billions of dollars. The estimated domestic annual
seed market based on potential demand in the top three countries
alone is close to US $1 billion.
In his opening statement Dr Metin Genckol, Director of
Agriculture and Tourism of ECO, stressed that “the ECO region
covers about 800 million ha with rich diversity in agro-ecology,
farming systems, crops and a population of over 350 million. We
are cultivating barely half of the available land (only 24%)
from the potential cultivable area of 49%. Obviously there is
great opportunity for expansion and diversification of
agriculture in the era of soaring food prices”.
Dr Zewdie Bishaw, Head of ICARDA’s Seed Unit, said that
“organizing the seed industry is in the best interest of
farmers. “Today the winners are the farmers of the ECO region
who would be served better through better organized seed
industry,” he added.
In his closing remarks Dr Michael Larinde of FAO said: “Today we
have planted a seed which should be nurtured to develop into a
productive plant that would bear fruits to meet regional food
security”.
For more information contact the following people:
Metin Genckol, ECO Secretariat, No. 1, Golobu Alley, Kamranieh;
P.O. Box 14155-6176, Tehran, Iran; Tel: +98-21-2831733-4; Fax:
+98-21-2831732; E-mail:
registry@ecosecretariat.org
Michael A. Larinde, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla; 00100
Rome, Italy; Tel: +3906-5705-3969; Fax: +3906-5705-6347; E-mail:
michael.larinde@fao.org
Zewdie Bishaw, ICARDA, P.O Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria; Tel:
+963-21-2213433; Fax: +963-21-2213490; E-mail:
z.bishaw@cgiar.org
Established in 1977, ICARDA is one of the 15 international
research centers supported by the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ICARDA serves the
entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil,
and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm
management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity
of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and
management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North
Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement
of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes
and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of
the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR) (http://www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of
countries, international and regional organizations, and private
foundations supporting15 international research centers that
mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable
development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human
nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.
Source:
Service d'information des Nations
Unies
Nouvelle association regroupe les semenciers du Caucase et
d'Asie Centrale
Une nouvelle Association régionale
basée à Ankara (Turquie) a été mise en place pour assurer la
diffusion à des millions d'agriculteurs des semences améliorées
et adaptées au Caucase et à l'Asie Centrale, rapporte mercredi
l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et
l'agriculture (FAO).
La moitié seulement des terres cultivables de cette région sont
exploitées et leur exploitation sera utile face à l'augmentation
des prix de l'alimentation, indique un communiqué.
La nouvelle association, qui regroupe des producteurs privés et
publics, concernera un marché de 350 millions de personnes parmi
les 10 membres de l'Organisation de coopération économique de
l'Asie Centrale, qui regroupe l'Afghanistan, l'Azerbaïdjan, la
République islamique d'Iran, le Kazakhstan, le Kirghizistan, le
Pakistan, le Tadjikistan, la Turquie, le Turkménistan et
l'Ouzbékistan.
Le but est de diffuser au plus grand nombre les graines et
ressources génétiques végétales adaptées aux besoins locaux et
de promouvoir le commerce équitable des semences.
La création de la nouvelle association a été facilitée par la
FAO et le Centre international pour la recherche agricole dans
les zones arides (ICARDA). |
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Improved seeds for Central Asia
New Seed Association founded |
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Source:
FAO
Rome, Italy
30 July 2008
Improved seeds suited to local
conditions will soon be
available to millions of farmers
in Central Asia and the Caucasus
through a newly-established
Regional Seed Association based
in Ankara.
The new Association, grouping
private and public-sector
producers, covers the 10-nation
Economic Cooperation
Organization (ECO) region of
Central Asia, a market of 350
million people. Realizing the
area’s great potential for
agricultural development – only
half of cultivable land is at
present farmed –could help take
the pressure off soaring food
prices.
Seed Associations, grouping both
the public and private seed
sectors, now cover all the
world’s major regions and
collaborates with the
International Seed Federation,
which represents the global seed
industry. Their purpose is to
help make seeds and plant
genetic resources suited to
local needs available to the
greatest possible number of
farmers.
They promote technology transfer
from more- to less-developed
regions and provide a forum for
regular consultations on seeds
and plant genetic resources
while also contributing to fair
and equitable regulation of seed
trade.
Establishment of the ECO Seed
Association earlier this month
was facilitated by FAO and
ICARDA – the International
Centre for Agricultural Research
in the Dry Areas. Promoting
collaboration between the public
and private seed sectors
improves seed availability, and
ultimately food security.
The ECO member countries are
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Islamic
Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan,
Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan
and Uzbekistan.
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