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April 16, 2008
Historical Countdown to the 125th Anniversary Annual Convention (Part 1 of 5) As ASTA gears up for its 125th Anniversary Annual Convention this June, a celebration 125 years in the making, Seed E-News will feature the first of five pieces highlighting our association's rich history. ASTA's first pictorial history book, "125 Years of the American Seed Trade Association," will debut at the convention. The book illustrates the association's 125 years of history in five 25-year period segments. In the five remaining issues of Seed E-News between now and the convention, an excerpt of the book will be featured to provide a snapshot in time of our association's history, leading up to a grand retrospective celebration at the convention June 21-25 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. To register for ASTA's 125th Anniversary Annual Convention, click here.
Part One: Germination 1883-1908 By 1883, as the business of growing and marketing seeds expanded, seedsmen meeting in Rochester, New York, decided to hold a large seed convention. Ethan Allan Chase, of Rochester, is credited with the original idea for the convention. Other strongly supportive members included B. K. Bliss and Peter Henderson (of New York), Joseph A. Bolgiano (of Maryland) and E. B. Clark, William Meggat and Richard A. Robbins (of Connecticut). Once the idea was adopted, invitations went out to seedsmen across the country in May. The response was so favorable that by the next month, June 12 to 14, a group of 35 men representing 33 seed trade firms - mainly those concerned with vegetable seeds - gathered for the first assemblage of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). The initial meeting was held in New York City at the Gilsey House, the first hotel in that city to offer telephone service to guests. The group discussed three major topics of eminent concern to seedsmen of the time: protection against unjust claims for damages; postage on seeds; and seed tariffs. The introductory passage of ASTA's 1883 official record states, "We desire to enroll every seedsman from Maine to California, and respectfully invite you to apply for admission." The founding members convened the group to bring together seedsmen spread over "the geographical limits of this mighty continent" who remained "unacquainted with those with whom they do business." The records from that initial meeting express a hope that the fledgling association "will at once become just what it ought to be, what it is intended to be - a national organization."
ASTA Management Academy Fosters Seed Industry Leaders
Forty-seven seed industry professionals gathered on the Purdue University campus for the 21st ASTA Management Academy in February 2008. The group hailed from France, Uganda and 18 of the United States. Mike Peterson, ASTA chairman and president of Peterson Genetics, Inc., spoke to the class and provided perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the seed industry. "A dynamic marketplace and continuous change means there is even more emphasis on good management practices," says Betty S. Jones-Bliss, interim director of the Purdue Center and organizer of the event. "The Academy is a unique opportunity for seed industry professionals to interact with and learn first-hand from well-respected instructors and industry experts. Participants leave this experience refreshed with new ideas and with the benefits that come from spending almost a week examining the business in a highly-charged, resourceful atmosphere." Like the seed industry itself, the class of participants becomes a dynamic group - networking, learning, sharing ideas and discussing challenging issues. "The Academy was a transforming experience that created a more complete understanding of the business and how my responsibilities impact the company as a whole," remarked Tim Newcomb, director of sales training, Beck's Superior Hybrids. As participants return to their roles, their enthusiasm is clear as to how the skills they have gained will benefit not only the individual but the seed industry as a whole. Jared Johns, PLM data manager, Syngenta Seeds, Inc., stated, "I have learned more in one week at the ASTA Management Academy than I have in a year elsewhere. Intense, in-depth discussion on key, current topics such as strategic thinking; leadership styles in a diversified world; and new ways to assess and make recommendations to improve financial performance gives me a strong foundation for renewed confidence and insight into everyday decisions I make in my role. Well done!"
ASTA Executive Committee Meets in Washington On April 17-18, the ASTA Executive Committee will convene to discuss a full agenda of key topics to the seed industry and the association. Taking advantage of the meeting's location in Washington, DC, members of the committee will have the opportunity to meet with the U.S. government, foreign embassy representativesand agriculture industry leaders. "It is keenly important that while ASTA's Executive Committee is in Washington that we take advantage of their presence and have them interact with our nation's policy makers and government officials to convey the issues and concerns of the American seed industry," said LaVigne. "There is no one better to discuss the industry than those who are involved in it on a daily basis." For more information, please contact President and CEO Andy LaVigne.
Celebrate World IP Day! What will your company do to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day on April 26? Intellectual property (IP), such as copyright, patents, industrial designs and trademarks, is still viewed by many people as business or legal concepts with little relevance to their own lives. To address this gap, the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Member States decided in 2000 to designate April 26 an annual World Intellectual Property Day, the date on which the Convention establishing WIPO originally entered into force in 1970. This day is celebrated with activities, events and campaigns to increase public understanding of what IP really means and to demonstrate how the IP system fosters not only music, arts and entertainments, but also all the products and technological innovations that help to shape our world. In January 2005, ASTA Board of Directors endorsed ten strategic priorities, one of which included the need to "advocate and defend the intellectual property interests of the U.S. seed industry, domestically and internationally, including providing education to dealers, growers, legislators, government officials and customers." ASTA will be featured on radio stations throughout the United States as part of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters. For more information on World IP Day and suggested activities, please click here.
Register Now for Upcoming FuSE Discussion Group Call ASTA's Future Seed Executives (FuSE) initiative will hold its next Round Table Discussion Group (RTDG) conference call on managing pollination with insects on May 8 at 10 a.m. Central Time. The RTDG is part of a series of quarterly conference calls moderated by senior industry members and is aimed at educating future seed executives on events and topics in the seed industry. This one-hour conference call will focus on the honeybee colony collapse disorder (CCD) and how seed industry leaders can help address solutions to this and other emerging industry challenges. In addition, the call will also examine how the media covers events like the CCD and how this type of reporting can impact conventional agriculture and the seed industry, specifically. The call will be moderated by Sharie Fitzpatrick, director of regulatory affairs and quality assurance for Forage Genetics International. The cost to participate in the call is $10 per person ($15 for non-ASTA members). Upon registration, the call-in number and pass-code will be issued. Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Jason Laney for more information.In order to facilitate group interaction, the calls will be limited to 12 participants, so early registration is encouraged. For more information on FuSE, visit www.futureseedexecutives.com.
Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA) Sent to Congress Under a fast-track process, President Bush sent the CTPA to the U.S. Congress that will require a vote within 90 legislative days. The Bush Administration sent the legislation forward in order to ensure a vote by Congress before the September recess. However, the consideration of the legislation could be delayed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would push for a change in the timetable under the Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA). Colombia is the largest market for U.S. agricultural exports, purchasing a record $1.2 billion in these products. Colombian food and agricultural products enter the United States with no duties. The Colombia Free Trade Agreement would level this playing field for U.S. products which would benefit many segments of the U.S. agricultural industry. For additional information, please contact Bernice Slutsky, vice president of science and international affairs.
Farm Bill Debate Continues House and Senate farm bill conferees reportedly made some progress as the April 18 deadline approaches on the latest extension of the current farm bill. Reports over the week have indicated successful negotiations on various programs under the bill; however, hurdles still remain with the Bush Administration's opposition to tax increases or closing tax "loopholes" to provide funding still looms over the negotiations. ASTA will monitor the developments closely leading up to April 18 deadline. For more information, please contact Vice President of Government Affairs Leslie Cahill.
Shipman Named AMS Associate Administrator The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the appointment of David Shipman as the Associate Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Mr. Shipman's appointment comes after the retirement of Ken Clayton who served as the Associate Administrator for 19 years. Mr. Shipman has had a long history with USDA, most recently as Deputy Administrator of USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). "ASTA welcomes the appointment of David Shipman," said ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne. "We have worked closely with Mr. Shipman during his tenure at GIPSA and are extremely pleased that AMS has chosen an individual with such a strong background in both domestic and international agricultural commodity issues for this key position at AMS."
National Organic Standards Board Announces May Meeting The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will meet May 20-22 at The Holiday Inn Inner Harbor Hotel, Baltimore, Md. Sessions will run from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 20; 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 21; and 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday, May 22, 2008. All sessions are open to the public. The board will consider guidance for accredited certifying agents regarding annual commercial availability determinations for organic seed sourcing by farmers under § 205.204. In addition, they will review revisions to the NOSB policy and procedures manual and the Guide for New NOSB Members as well as recommendations on standards for organic aquaculture. The full board will vote on committee recommendations concerning the use or prohibition of 32 petitioned substances and 13 sun setting substances due to expire in November 2008 under review for the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The NOSB will also receive an update from the National Organic Program (NOP) and will hear committee progress reports regarding work plans and discussion items. For meeting specifics, please click here. For more information, contact Lisa Nichols, ASTA director of international programs and staff liaison to the Organic Committee.
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Launches New Web Site The Seed Regulatory and Testing Branch of AMS has launched a new address (www.ams.usda.gov/Seed) to access information on their programs. This branch enforces interstate commerce provisions of the Federal Seed Act and provides seed testing services under the Agricultural Marketing Act. Please update the address in Web browser. Any difficulties with this address or any of the links should be reported to Sean Sabo with AMS.
California Seed Association (CSA) Holds Annual Convention With over 150 people in attendance, CSA convened its 68th Annual Convention April 6-9 in Palm Springs. During the general session, a panel of ASTA representatives presented an overview of ASTA activities and highlighted the partnership between the two associations. The panel was composed of ASTA First Vice Chairman Kelly Keithly, Western Regional Vice President John Schoenecker, Senior Director of Seed and Health and Trade Ric Dunkle and Director of State Affairs Pat Miller. In addition to the excellent networking opportunities, the conference featured a variety of committee meetings. Among the highlights of the issues addressed by the committees were the National Sustainable Agriculture Standard, a proposed economic survey of the California seed industry, human pathogen contamination, phytosanitary re-export and successes, seed sales on eBay, arbitration rules and a California legislative update. Bill White, White Seed Company, Oxnard Calif., was elected as president of CSA for the coming term. Hawaii Bill to Ban Taro Genetic Experimentation Fails The bill (HI SB 958) passed the House but failed on the Senate floor, even after amendments limited the moratorium on the genetic engineering of taro to five years. Native Hawaiians consider themselves to be descendents of the taro plant and objected to genetic testing for spiritual reasons. The high profile bill garnered demonstrations in support of the moratorium during the legislature's consideration of the bill. A similar bill banning genetic engineering research on coffee also failed.
ASTA Travels to Hyderabad to Continue Meetings in India Thedelegation of six ASTA members and staff who began a week-long fact finding mission in New Delhi on March 31, continued their meeting schedule in Hyderabad, India from April 3-4. Gordon Zielinski of The Scotts Company, LLC, Curt Clausen of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., and Eric Johnson of Seminis, Inc., participated in the delegation, along with ASTA staff, President & CEO Andy LaVigne, Vice President of Science and International Affairs Bernice Slutsky and Director of International Programs Lisa Nichols. In Hyderabad, the country's unofficial "Seed Capitol," the delegation met with Mr. C.R. Biswal, Principal Secretary of Agriculture and Cooperation Department and other officials from the Government of Andhra Pradesh. ASTA also met with the director and researchers from the ANGRA University and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arrid Tropics (ICRISAT). Before concluding the trip, the delegation also convened with Dr. T.V. Ramanaiah from Pioneer Hi-Bred International and had the chance to meet with multiple local seed companies and the president of the National Seed Association of India (NSAI), Dr. Prabhakar Rao. The focus of this mission was to meet Indian government officials and other stakeholders to promote collaboration, explore possible investment and propose potential training and outreach opportunities on Intellectual Property Rights and Plant Variety Protection. ASTA Delegate Attends UPOV Technical Committee Meetings From April 7-9, 2008 the Technical Committee of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) held meetings for its members in Geneva Switzerland. ASTA sponsored Mr. Nguyen Mihn from Vietnam's Plant Variety Protection Office to attend these meetings. Mr. Minh is a past program participant and cooperator with ASTA and was recently in the United States to complete the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) sponsored UPOV "Train the Trainer" Program. In the future, ASTA will rely on Mr. Minh to help facilitate and organize our planned activities revolving around plant variety protection (PVP) in Vietnam. Mr. Mihn remarked about the situation in Vietnam, "As there are many ASTA members trading in Vietnam, it is to everyone's advantage for Vietnam to have a good PVP system with well trained officers. We need to improve our system, and international cooperation will play a large part in making sure that harmonization occurs in the application procedures to process the granting of certificates." ASTA Delegation to Head to Beijing and Changchun, China A delegation of five ASTA members and staff will travel to Beijing and Changchun, China, from April 23-30, to facilitate the planning of a cooperative program focused on education and training for China's Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Officials. Tim Johnson, Illinois Seed Foundation, Inc., SGI Field Crops Division, Don Miles, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. and Gary Whiteaker, Verdant Partners, LLC, will participate in the delegation along with ASTA staff Vice President of Science and International Affairs Bernice Slutsky and Director of International Programs Lisa Nichols. ASTA staff has been working with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service office in Beijing to arrange meetings with Ministry of Agriculture officials in Beijing and local officials in the Jilin Province. While there, the delegation will participate in the Agricultural Biotech/Seed Summit taking place on April 26. Also on the agenda will be a meeting with the organizers of the upcoming China Seed Expo to be held in September. Uganda Approves National Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy The Ugandan Cabinet approved the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy after review and deliberation with various stakeholders. Cabinet members underscored the importance of the policy to Uganda. The application of biotechnology is a tool in agricultural and industrial research around the world today, and the policy has been developed so that Uganda is not left behind in using this technology. Formulated by the National Council for Science and technology in 2002, the policy aims to build and strengthen national capacity in biotechnology through research and development, promote the utilization of biotechnology products and process as tools for national development and provide a regulatory and institutional framework for biotechnology development and application. The policy's goal towards the safe application of biotechnology will be one of the instruments in poverty eradication, improvement of health care, food security, industrialization and the protection of the environment. Uganda has already established a National Agricultural Biotechnology Center, where genetic modification of cotton, bananas and other crops for resistance to diseases and pests are being conducted. Cornell University to Lead Global Fight against Deadly Wheat Plague The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded $26.8 million to Cornell University to launch a broad-based global partnership to combat stem rust, a deadly wheat disease that poses a serious threat to global food security. As one of the world's primary food staples, wheat represents about 30 percent of the world's production of grain crops. Vulnerable regions include India, Pakistan, East Africa, China, the Middle East and North Africa. However, scientists estimate that 90 percent of all wheat varieties used today are susceptible to a new virulent wheat stem rust type, Ug99. The project, Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat, brings together 15 institutions providing focus on developing improved rust-resistant wheat varieties to protect resource-poor farmers as well as consumers from catastrophic crop losses. "The new wheat project is a critical component in building an effective research and development response to the current stem rust threat, and can help avert a global rust pandemic that can rob tens of millions of tons from production," stated Nobel laureate Norman E. Borlaug, who developed the "green revolution" wheats beginning in the 1940s and is credited with bringing radical change to world agriculture and saving hundreds of millions of lives. "The rust pathogens recognize no political boundaries, and their spores need no passport to travel thousands of miles in the jet streams. Containing these deadly enemies of the wheat crop requires alert and active scientists, strong international research networks and effective seed supply programs."
Dr. Owen Newlin Honored by Iowa State University Recognized for his many contributions to Iowa State University (ISU), the ISU Foundation and the local community, Newlin distinguished himself as an outstanding alumnus and benefactor of the university. His continued commitment and service to ASTA demonstrates his dedication to advancing the development of agricultural institutions such as ISU. A College of Agriculture and Life Sciences alumnus ('51 agronomy, MS '53 agronomy), he retired as senior vice president of Pioneer Hi-Bred International and maintains an avid interest in the agriculture industry. Newlin helped establish the ISU Foundation as an independent organization and has served as one of the ISU Foundation Governors since 1977. He is a member of the ISU Foundation Board of Directors and chaired Partnership for Prominence, ISU's successful 1988-1993 fundraising campaign. Active in various committees and boards at ISU and state organizations, Newlin brings "a big picture" perspective that allows him to serve as an inspiring and commanding leader in all his endeavors. ASTA and its members would like to congratulate Owen Newlin for his accomplishments and commitments.
Apply Now for the Plant Breeding Academy - Space is Limited! The Plant Breeding Academy (PBA), sponsored by the University of California-Davis Seed Biotechnology Center, is accepting applications for Class II, which will begin in September 2008. The PBA is a two-year program designed to meet the needs of working professionals, giving them the critical tools they will need to manage a breeding program. Meeting for six one-week sessions over two years, the academy's schedule allows participants to maintain their current working positions. Already accepted to Class II are a number of outstanding professionals from the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Africa. These individuals work with a variety of crops including grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes. Taught by internationally recognized plant breeders, the PBA is limited in size to give students personal attention. Visit the Plant Breeding Academy website for more information and to apply for the 2008-2010 Academy. For questions, contact Program Representative Cathy Glaeser at clglaeser@ucdavis.edu or (530) 752-4414. IPNI Announces Graduate Student Scholarship Program The International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) is offering financial awards to a limited number of graduate students in 2008. The IPNI Scholar Awards in the amount of US$2,000 (two thousand dollars) each will be conferred to graduate students in sciences relevant to plant nutrition and management of crop nutrients. The IPNI Scholar Award is made directly to the student and will be granted independent of any assistantship, scholarship, or other award that the student presently holds. No specific duties will be required of the recipient. Graduate students who are candidates for either a M.S. or Ph.D. degree and are currently attending a degree-granting institution are eligible, and priority will be given to the relevance of the proposed research in support of IPNI's mission. Students in the disciplines of soil and plant sciences, including agronomy, horticulture, ecology, soil fertility, soil chemistry, crop physiology and other areas related to plant nutrition are encouraged to apply. The application instructions are available at the IPNI Web site.
Click here for a schedule of additional industry events
ASTA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact ASTA at (703) 837-8140.
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Grain Handler's Database • Seed Quality Management • CSS 2008 & Seed Expo • 48th Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference • 125th Annual Convention |