Official Newsletter of the WANA Seed Network
No. 31,
July 2006
PDF File
(448 KB)
----------------------
Subscribe
----------------------
E-mail & Address
----------------------
Back Issues
----------------------
Seed Home
----------------------
ICARDA Home
----------------------
Subscribe
----------------------
E-mail & Address
----------------------
Back Issues
----------------------
Seed Home
----------------------
ICARDA Home
This section presents information on the WANA Seed Network, including Network activities and reports of the meetings of the Steering Committee and the WANA Seed Council.
Second International Seed Trade Conference for CWANA Region
After a successful First International Seed Trade Conference held 29 November to 1 December 2005 in Antalya, Turkey, the National Seed Council of Egypt, the Turkish Seed Industry Association, and the International Center for Agricultural in the Dry Areas announce the Second International Seed Trade Conference in CWANA Region (2nd ISTC2007) holding in October 2007 in Cairo, Egypt. The ISTC2007 conference aims at promoting seed trade within and between Central Asia, West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) and the rest of the world. The conference will provide opportunities for seed trade and contribute to the dialogue on private-public sector partnership and harmonization of regulatory frameworks to promote seed trade in the region. A major event at the conference will be trade exhibitions by seed companies, seed equipment manufacturers, agricultural input suppliers, and agricultural machinery manufacturers. Companies interested in participating in the conference or wishing to exhibit their products should contact the Conference Secretariat. The conference will overlap with the Cairo Agricultural Fair, an international exhibition of agriculture, horticulture and floriculture held every year. Zewdie Bishaw and A.J. G. van Gastel, Seed Unit, P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo Syria; Fax: ++963-21-2213490; E-mail: z.bishaw@cgiar.org.
ICARDA Orgnaizes Regional Workshop on Liberalization of the Seed Sector
The ICARDA Seed Unit orgnaized a regional workshop on "Liberalization of the Seed Sector in Developing Countries" on 13-16 March 2006 in Aleppo, Syria. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the State Planning Commission of Syria provided financial support for the workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to inform both policymakers and senior technical managers from CWANA on issues related to the liberalization or privatization of the seed sector. The specific objectives were to:
|
•
|
create awareness among senior managers and policymakers of changing trends in seed industry development; |
|
•
|
review existing policies and regulatory frameworks relevant to the liberalization/privatization of the seed sector; |
|
•
|
review the status and assess existing opportunities for liberalization or privatization of the seed sector; and |
|
•
|
identify constraints, discuss recommendations, and develop action plans in the participating countries to encourage private sector participation. |
Each participant prepared a background paper on the agricultural sector in general and the seed industry in particular. Emphasis was on the role of the public and private sectors in the respective countries. It described the status, constraints, opportunities, recommendations, and options for liberalization or privatization to encourage entry of the private sector.
Key resource persons from ICARDA presented background papers on the recent trends in seed industry development. Particular emphasis was on liberalization or privatization, status of seed regulatory frameworks, status and trends in agricultural biotechnology and their future impact on national and regional seed sector development in CWANA region. The presentations gave an insight into key policy, regulatory, institutional, technical, and organizational issues on varieties and seed in the respective countries. The ensuing discussions highlighted key constraints to private sector participation and identified possible alternatives to overcome them.
Participants in the meeting made recommendations and action plans to promote liberalization or privatization of the seed sector. The working groups (a) identified major constraints, and (b) provided recommendations on (i) policy and regulatory frameworks, (ii) incentives and technical support, and (iii) the role of international organizations. Recognizing that seed is a key input in agricultural development, the participants suggested that governments should have the political will and commitment to develop the seed industry and promote a market economy that will facilitate entry into and growth of the private seed sector.
 |
| Participants of the regional workshop on Liberalization of the Seed Sector at ICRDA Headquarters in Aleppo, Syria |
The participants recommended that ICARDA and everyone present should ensure wider distribution of the workshop recommendations to Ministers and Ministries of Agriculture, national seed councils, seed trade associations (national, regional, international), national seed regulatory agencies, etc. This is to create awareness among the stakeholders. They also called for the formation of seed associations that would represent the interest of the private sector and lead the dialogue with the government to promote the development of a competitive seed industry.
Participants in the workshop included policymakers, advisors, and senior managers representing different sectors of the seed industry including the Ministries of Agriculture and the public and private seed sectors from nine countries. They were a mix of public (8) and private (8) sector participants from Afghanistan (4), Syria (5), Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Jordan, Pakistan, Sudan and Turkey. Private sector participants included representatives of multinational seed companies and large and medium foreign and domestic seed companies. Zewdie Bishaw and A.J. G. van Gastel, Seed Unit, P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo Syria; Fax: +963-21-2213490; E-mail: z.bishaw@cgiar.org.
Dr Zewdie Bishaw Appointed Head of Seed Unit
On 11 May 2006, The Director General of ICARDA, Dr Mahmoud Solh, announced the appointment of Dr Zewdie Bishaw as the new Head of Seed Unit. Dr Bishaw takes over from Dr Antonius van Gastel, who retired after serving the Unit, first as Seed Production Specialist, and then as Head for many years. Dr Bishaw obtained his Bachelors degree in Plant Sciences from Alemaya College of Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. He obtained his Masters degree in Seed Technology from Edinburgh University, Scotland, UK, and a PhD in Production Ecology and Sustainable Conservation with specialization in Seed Technology from Wageningen University, the Netherlands.
He served as Lecturer at Awassa College of Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, before joining the Ethiopian Seed Corporation as Agronomist and Seed Production Officer within the Seed Production Department. He was later appointed as Head of Seed Quality Control Department and Seed Processing and Storage Department of ESE, before joining ICARDA in December 1989.
At ICARDA, he worked as Seed Production Specialist and Training Officer until 1996, when he became Acting Head of Seed Unit (1996-1997), and later as Seed Systems Specialist and Coordinator of the WANA Seed Network.
Dr Bishaw has vast experience in seed industry development at the national, regional, and global levels, particularly in seed policy and regulatory frameworks, formal and informal seed supply systems, and human resource development. He has practical experience in technical aspects of seed science and technology.
We wish him success in his new assignment.