Seed E-News

February 20, 2004

ASTA Announces USDA-Seed Industry Workshops
ASTA is pleased to announce two important workshops that will be held in March 2004 at headquarters of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. On March 18, 2004 a workshop for native seed companies will be conducted to discuss Farm Bill implementation, opportunities for native seed companies and efforts to communicate and coordinate programs affecting native seed. The second workshop will take place on March 25 and will be devoted to organic seed issues. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be on hand to discuss implementation and enforcement of the National Organic Program. ASTA's Board of Directors established a standing Organic Committee to address issues affecting the seed industry. Both workshops will take place at USDA headquarters in Washington, DC and will begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude by 5:00 p.m. For more information, contact ASTA on 703-837-8140.

Rooms have been reserved at a special ASTA group rate of $159 single/double at:

Hilton Crystal City Ronald Reagan National Airport
2399 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington VA 22202
Phone: 703.418.6800 or 800-695-7551 for reservation
Fax: 703.418.3762

Please mention that you are with the American Seed Trade Association when making your reservation. The hotel is within walking distance of the Crystal City Metro station. The closest Metro to USDA Headquarters is the Smithsonian stop. The hotel also offers complimentary shuttle service to Reagan National Airport. Visit www.wmata.com for a map of the Metro system. A taxi to USDA headquarters would cost approximately $15; a Metro ride would be approximately $5 round trip.

Successful Test of NPDN Crop Bio-Terrorism Alert System
The National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) passed its first test last month according to Forrest Nutter, Plant Disease Epidemiologist at Iowa State University. He organized the exercise, conducted January 14-15 and overseen by Carla Thomas, Assistant Director of the Western Plant Diagnostic Network, in order to test the diagnostic and regional communications capabilities in Iowa and Illinois. For more on this story, please follow this link Bio Test to read the article in SeedQuest.com. Carla Thomas has also prepared a presentation on NPDN available at SeedQuest.com.

EU Deadlocked Again on Lifting GM Ban
Last week we reported that the European Commission would be attempting to have the European Union’s ban on GM products lifted by approving Monsanto’s NK603 maize for feed and industrial purposes. On February 18, the EU once again revealed its divisions. This was their second attempt in 10 weeks to lift a five-year unofficial ban on authorizing new GM products: a policy that has angered the EU's major trade partners and sparked a suit against the bloc at the World Trade Organisation. The previous attempt involved Syngenta’s Bt-11 sweetcorn. There appears to some indication of opposition to GM products easing. With Bt11, six countries voted to approved, six to reject, and three abstained. In Wednesday's vote, nine countries voted to approve NK603, five to reject, and one (Germany) abstained but the proposal did not achieve the majority necessary under the EU’s complicated qualified majority voting system to pass. The proposal will now be referred to the Council of Ministers which can either adopt or reject it (again) with a qualified majority. If no decision is taken after three months, the file returns to the Commission which can then adopt it. After Wednesday’s vote Monsanto told Forbes.com that it was optimistic that the EU would lift its GM ban. To read the Forbes.com article, follow this link Monsanto. Those interested in the Chronology of the EU’s GM ban should follow the link.

UK Set to Approve GM Cultivation?
In details of a Cabinet meeting leaked to a British newspaper, it was revealed that the British Government plans to proceed with the commercial cultivation of GM crops. The minutes, which acknowledge that there is little public support for GM produce, argue that a GM-free Britain is not feasible legally or in practice. A decision on whether to approve or ban cultivation has been awaited since mid-January when the government’s Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) delivered its verdict on the field scale trials, an unprecedented five-year experiment to assess the environmental impact of growing GM crops in Britain. The ACRE report was the final decision needed by the government before being obliged to decide. For more on this story, follow this link The Guardian.

Plant Variety Intellectual Property Rights Seminar
The UC Davis Technology Transfer Center and Morrison & Foerster LLP are co-hosting a seminar entitled Protecting, Defending and Enforcing Plant Variety Intellectual Property Rights. Keynote speaker Dr. Paul Zankowski is a UC Davis graduate and Commissioner of the U.S. Plant Variety Protection Office. The seminar will take place on campus at the University Club on Tuesday March 2, 2004 at 1:00 - 4:30, with a reception to follow. For more information, follow this link http://www.mofo.com/events/plant-ip/. For registration follow this link http://ovcr.ucdavis.edu/ttc/register/home.cfm.

4th Annual Native Seed Quality Conference
Mid-West Seed Services, Inc. will host their 4th Annual Native Seed Quality Conference in Sioux Falls, SD on February 24 and 25, 2004. This day and a half meeting will provide the latest information on native seed quality and will include topics on CRP, Native Forb Production, TZ test viability, source ID program, Drought Tolerance, Moisture, Storage, Wildflowers, and many others. Leslie Cahill, ASTA Vice President for Government Affairs, will give an update on the ASTA Environment and Conservation Committee Activities. A complete listing of speakers and topics can be found at www.mwseed.com/workshops.htm or by calling Michelle Robbins at (605) 692-7611.

2004 Congress of the African Seed Trade Association
The 2004 Congress of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) is scheduled for March 24-26, 2004 in the historic city of Tunis, Tunisia. Since its inception in 2000, AFSTA has grown significantly in regional stature and membership. The AFSTA Congress is now the premier event for the seed industry in Africa and offers unparalleled opportunity for those that wish the develop business relationships with the African seed industry. In addition, the Congress program has been designed to foster discussion on all critical issues facing the seed industry throughout the continent. The National Organizing Committee (NOC) of AFSTA Congress has obtained a 50% discount on all flights with Tunis Air for all the participants of the AFSTA Congress. To benefit from this offer, please contact Tunis Air agency or your travel agency by specifying that you are aparticipant in AFSTA Congress 2004. Visas can be obtained from the Tunisian Embassy in your country. You should contact the NOC of the congress at espace.vert@planet.tn or info@afstacongress.com to request for an invitation letter to complete your visa application. The NOC has already informed all the Tunisian Embassies to facilitate delivery of the visa. Registration for the 2004 AFSTA Congress is open and registration materials and information on the Congress program, pre- and post Congress tours, can be found at www.afstacongress.com.

ISF International Seminar on the Protection of Intellectual Property and Access to Genetic Resources
ISF is organizing an international seminar on the Protection of Intellectual Property and Access to Genetic Resources in Berlin, on May 27-28, 2004, just after its Annual Congress. This is a subject that is under intense discussions at the moment, at both governmental and industry levels, as illustrated by the discussions on the adoption of the document "ISF View on Intellectual Property" in Chicago in 2002 and in Bangalore in 2003. The presentations by a panel of eminent speakers from all over the world, as well as the discussions, should facilitate the development of a new industry position in the coming months and we hope that many of you will attend. Please note that the deadline for early registration is February 28, 2004. For more information on the seminar, please follow this link IP Seminar.

World Conference on Organic Seed
On July 5-7, 2004, a conference for stakeholders in the organic seed sector will be held at the headquarters of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome. Delegates are expected to include scientists, plant breeders, seed producers, farmers, certifiers, and others interested in organic farming and seed production. ASTA is represented on the conference organizing committee by Frederick ‘Chip’ Sundstrom of the California Crop Improvement Association. The conference is sponsored by the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM), the FAO and the International Seed Federation. The focus of the conference will on the scientific and technical aspects of organic seed issues and participants will also evaluate regulatory requirements. Registration information and a provisional program can be found by visiting www.organicseedconf.org.

Industry and People
If you have any personnel changes, or other developments in your company, that you would like included in E-News, please send details to ppatterson@amseed.org.

On-Line Membership Directory
ASTA has launched its new online membership directory to which only members will have access. This replaces the hardcopy directory issued in the past. Members should have received letters with their individual User ID and password. Members will have access to three directories – member companies, individuals and ASTA committees. Members will be able to search and sort within each directory in several ways, by member type, region, division, product and seed type. Members will also have the ability to e-mail an individual or group from the search results. We are confident that members will find this a valuable benefit of ASTA membership. If you have any problems accessing the new on-line directory, please contact Peter Patterson at ppatterson@amseed.org or by calling him on 703-837-8140.

ASTA Membership Database
The on-line directory draws on the information held in the ASTA membership database. It is essential, therefore, that this information is accurate and up to date. Please take a moment to check the directory to see if any of your information has changed since you joined. Please let us know of any changes to your company name, address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses, company ASTA representatives, etc. Details of changes can be mailed to the ASTA offices at 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 650, Alexandria, VA 22314-2875, faxed to 703-837-9365, or e-mailed to Peter Patterson, Director, Membership Services, at ppatterson@amseed.org. Changes to the database will be made as they are received and it is intended to run the program to update the directory on Friday each week. However, if there is a significant number of changes, the program will be run more often.

Upcoming Events

May 24-26, 2004
International Seed Federation Congress
Berlin, Germany
www.worldseed2004.com

June 27-30, 2004
121st ASTA Annual Convention
Wyndham Franklin Plaza
Philadelphia, PA
Tel: 1-888.890.7333
For more information on this joint meeting with the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies, please follow this link Speakers.

November 7-8, 2004
ASTA 50th Farm & Lawn Seed Conference
Westin Crown Center
Kansas City, MO

December 8-10, 2004
ASTA 34th Soybean & 59th Corn & Sorghum Conferences and Seed Expo 2004
Hyatt Regency Chicago
Chicago, IL
Tel: 1-888.890.7333

January 22-25, 2005
ASTA 44th Vegetable & Flower Conference
Grand Hyatt San Francisco
San Francisco, CA.

June 19-22, 2005
122nd ASTA Annual Convention
Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Tower
Seattle, WA

July 7-14, 2006
Joint ASTA-CSTA Annual Convention
Hyatt Regency Chicago
Chicago, IL