The ten ECO countries – Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – formed a new regional seed association at Istanbul on 18 July, 2008. They reached on agreement to that effect following two days of consultations. The meeting was part of a FAO-sponsored Technical Cooperation Project which ECO implemented jointly with ICARDA.
The seed association will represent the interests of all member states and help promote development of the seed sector in the region. Given the advanced nature of the Turkish seed industry and the leadership role it could play in this field, the delegates agreed to locate the headquarters of the regional seed association in Ankara.
A week-long two-tier regional workshop held in Istanbul was attended by more than 50 senior Government officials and private enterprise personnel. They discussed seed-related technical issues and held a policy session to determine public-private partnership and set up a regional association to translate it into reality. Delegates to the workshop titled "the Third ECO Regional Workshop on Harmonization of Seed Regulations" (14-16 July 2008) drew up draft regional schemes for variety release, seed certification and phytosanitary measures. These should be submitted to the ECO Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture at Baku on 8-10 September 2008. The schemes are meant to enhance the region's access to modern technology for seed production, quality seed and plant genetic resources for sustainable seed. These would also provide a framework for regional and global interaction to promote seed security in the region.
The meeting was also attended by 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). The experts shared useful experiences regarding regional seed associations and their role in facilitating seed security and seed trade of countries.
Mr. Metin Genckol, Director of Agriculture and Tourism addressing the Workshop, noted 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 of ICARDA observed 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”.
During the closing statement Dr Michael Larinde of FAO remarked that “today we have planted a seed which should be nurtured to develop into a productive plant that would bear fruits”.
ECO, FAO and ICARDA worked closely with member countries, particularly the Government of Turkey, to organize the meeting that led to the formation of the regional seed association. The ECO member countries collectively represent a large seed market. The estimated domestic annual seed market, based on potential demand, in Iran, Pakistan and Turkey alone is worth $1 billion.
For Immediate Release
ECO, ICARDA and FAO
For more information contact the following people:
Zewdie Bishaw, ICARDA, P.O Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria; Tel: +963-21-2213433; Fax: +963-21-2213490; E-mail: z.bishaw@cgiar.org
Metin Genckol, ECO Secretariat
No. 1, Golobu Alley, Kamranieh; P.O. Box 14155- 6176, Tehran-Iran.
Tel: +98-21 2831733-4 & 2292066
Fax: + 98-21 2831732; registry@ecosecretariat.org
Michael A. Larinde
FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla; 00100 Rome, Italy ; Tel: +3906-5705-3969
Fax: +3906-5705-6347; Michael.Larinde@fao.org
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