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April 22, 2009
The National Seed Health System: A Good Phytosanitary Tool for the Seed Industry. Obtaining a phytosanitary certificate (PC) to export seed products can be a time consuming process for a seed company. Although USDA has made it much more user friendly and quicker through the Phytosanitary Certification Issuance and Tracking System (PCIT), the process still requires federal or state inspectors and other specialists to be available to conduct the actual inspections, seed sampling, and in some cases, seed health testing. With federal and state budgets getting tighter, many companies are beginning to experience delays in obtaining PCs. Enter the National Seed Health System (NSHS)! Started in the late 1990s and published in the Federal Register in 2001, NSHS is a third party accreditation and certification program authorized by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and administered by the Iowa State University Seed Science Center. Under this program, seed companies and other entities can become accredited to perform key activities needed for the issuance of federal PCs; activities that otherwise can only be performed by federal or state employees. Although PCs are still issued by state and federal officials, a company's ability to perform these key activities and submit the information greatly shortens the process. The four activities that are available for accreditation are: seed sampling for testing purposes, seed visual inspection, rowing season field inspection and laboratory seed health testing. For a relatively small fee, companies can apply for accreditation to perform any or all of these four activities. Companies must be prepared to submit a quality management manual as a condition of accreditation. Specific information is available on the NSHS website to help guide applicants through the process. Once the application has been submitted and accepted, an auditor is sent to the company to validate the competency of the company's employees and the capacity of the company's facilities to meet the conditions of accreditation. The process takes about six months to complete. Accreditations must be reviewed and renewed every three years, and unannounced audits may be performed to maintain the integrity of NSHS. The benefits of NSHS accreditation can be substantial to a company or organization such as a state crop improvement association. The ability to take for a company to take their own seed sample and conduct their own visual inspections can shorten the process to obtain a PC by up to two weeks in many cases. This can mean the difference between shipping a consignment by boat versus air cargo, representing a potentially significant cost savings. Being able to conduct the official phytosanitary field inspections means that a company's personnel is on site at the most optimum time when pests and diseases are present. Problems can be detected early which also provides the opportunity to mitigate these problems before they impact the entire crop. For example, by a company doing its own field inspections, it can switch to other fields and perform a new field inspection if a pest infestation is found. Also, if the company is harvesting more than one field of the same variety or hybrid, it can avoid mixing "clean" and "infested" fields because it has the field inspection results immediately, rather than waiting until after harvest when most agencies release field inspection information. There should also be no surprises relative to the issuance of the PC. Another benefit of NSHS is the standardization of methods. Previously, laboratories and field inspection methods varied greatly from state to state. One of the main goals of NSHS is to provide standardized methods for the United States. This was done by taking existing methods and creating panels of technical experts to evaluate them to determine which were acceptable for use as a nation-wide standard. In less than three years, 47 methods were reviewed in this manner. Methodology for conducting phytosanitary field inspections, seed sampling, and visual inspections were also approved. This list of methods is not static, and new methods and improvements to existing methods are constantly being evaluated, keeping NSHS up-to-date with advances in new testing technologies and emerging phytosanitary concerns. "If your company is involved in the international movement of seed, becoming accredited to perform critical activities to obtain PCs more rapidly could save significant time and money. The methods that are approved through NSHS are recognized by other countries as well," notes Ric Dunkle, ASTA's senior director for seed health and trade. To learn more about NSHS and how your company or organization could benefit from participating in NSHS, please visit the Web site or contact Ric Dunkle. Meeting of ASTA's Executive Committee Sparks Good Discussions Leading to Stronger Association. ASTA's Executive Committee plays a vital role in the direction and operations of the association. The meeting of the Executive Committee in Washington, DC, from April 15-17, provided the latest opportunity for this group of member leaders to meet with key contacts, receive updates on various projects and initiatives by ASTA staff and discuss issues facing the seed industry as well as the association. Committee members first met with Stephen McPherson with the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and Max Holtzman, USDA's senior advisor to the secretary. Working sessions of the committee included presentations and discussions on a variety of issues ranging from financial reports to international and domestic outreach and advocacy efforts to trade barriers to membership recruitment and services. The committee received several guest speakers over the course of the three-day meeting, including former Senator John Warner (R-Va); Stephen Haterius, the new executive director of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture; Lou Schweigert and Greg Ruehle from Independent Professional Seed Association; and Allan Gray with Purdue University who presented a study on the economics of the seed industry as well as future opportunities for executive training partnerships between ASTA and the university.
ASRF's Partnership with ASTA Leads to Successful Ninth Year of Operation Student Connection. ASTA has partnered with the American Seed Research Foundation (ASRF) to offer Operation Student Connection (OSC). Now in its ninth year, the OSC program provides a valuable opportunity for graduate students in seed-related disciplines to interact with hundreds of managers from widely diversified seed companies across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and beyond and to become better acquainted with this vibrant and dynamic industry during these exciting times in agriculture. This program features strong financial assistance to attend ASTA's 126th Annual Convention, where each accepted OSC participant will be matched with a seed company registrant during the convention who will act as a mentor and resource during the convention. Additionally, the students can engage in networking opportunities, while learning about the various aspects of the seed industry through outstanding world-class speakers, important sessions on all aspects of the world-wide seed business and related fields and participation in all of the outstanding social events. Speakers committed to date include Carlos Gutierrez, former U.S. secretary of commerce and former CEO of Kellogg's; and Michael Swanson, vice president and agricultural economist at Wells Fargo. ASRF is a non-profit foundation, which, for many years, has funded seed-related research at prominent universities that is of long-term benefit to the seed industry. ASRF funding comes primarily from seed company members who are also members of ASTA. ASRF expanded its mission, and the OSC program is one of the results. The application for registration and sponsorship can be found online at www.seedresearch.org under Operation Student Connection.
Register Today for ASTA's 126th Annual Convention. There has never been a more essential time to come together as an industry, to navigate the challenges and obstacles to keep your business thriving. ASTA's 126th Annual Convention brings colleagues of the seed industry together to offer a wealth of timely and essential educational sessions and networking opportunities for attendees at the June 20-24 event, to be held at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Ariz. A preliminary registration form is available on the convention Web site in advance of the debut of a new online registration system. The Annual Convention is the only ASTA event which brings together representatives of every ASTA division, including corn and sorghum, soybean, vegetable and flower, lawn and farm seed, in addition to representatives from supplier companies and international partners. Responding to the economic climate and the needs of its membership to maximize value for business travel expenses, ASTA has geared its programming to deliver essential industry and economic information within an expanded educational program. The former two general sessions have been expanded to four, with an additional panel discussion on intellectual property rights. Topics range from agricultural credit markets to global economics to the state of agribusiness and sustainability, all surrounding a new Networking Hot Spot to help you conduct months' worth of business over the course of just a few days. The schedule has also been punctuated with a series of educational breakout sessions on intellectual property rights, phytosanitary issues and the return of the popular State and Regional Associations Workshop. The convention theme, "Brighten Your Future with ASTA," is meant to help "illuminate" the important concept that you truly derive from ASTA what you put into it - the more you participate, the more benefit you receive! Additionally, opportunities are still available for exhibits and sponsorshipsto bring even more prominence to your company at this unparalleled ASTA event. Contact Jennifer Lord or Hiranthie Stanford for more information.
Last Chance to Register for Upcoming FuSE Discussion Group Call. ASTA's Future Seed Executives (FuSE) will hold its next Round Table Discussion Group (RTDG) conference call on contract labor management, April 28 at 2 p.m. EST. The RTDG is part of a series of quarterly conference calls moderated by senior industry members, aimed at educating future seed executives on events and topics in the seed industry. This one hour conference call will focus on issues surrounding the use of contract agricultural labor. The call will be moderated by Jenifer Brown, partner in the law firm of Ice Miller in Indianapolis, Ind. Ms. Brown practices exclusively in the area of immigration law and is the chairman of the firm's immigration practice. Also participating on the call will be Craig Regelbrugge, vice president of government relations and research for the American Nursery and Landscape Association and co-chair of the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform (ACIR). Mr. Regelbrugge will provide an update on policy proposals regarding immigration reform that are being debated at the federal level. 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. Deadline for registration is Friday, April 24. For more information on FuSE, visit www.futureseedexecutives.com.
Candice McCullough Candice McCullough came to ASTA in 2003 and is the staff assistant, specializing in accounts payable and receivable. Although you are often greeted by her when you call the ASTA office, she is responsible for supporting many of the accounting operations in keeping ASTA's financials up to date and reconciled. Candice also lends a hand in helping with registrations for ASTA's meetings. Prior to ASTA, she held a similar position with Wicks Business Information for three years. Candice has also held a position as a customer service supervisor at the National Institute of Business. Candice was employed by Financial Service Associates LP for several years, receiving two promotions within the companies, moving from a role in customer service to a special projects coordinator. She attended Northern Virginia Community College. Growing up in New Jersey and then Virginia, Candice resides in Maryland with her two boys, Aaron and Andre. She is the biggest fan at her sons' games, which is a natural for her own love of sports. She also likes to travel and spending time with the latest edition to her family, their dog, Lexi. "Working for ASTA, one has to wear many hats; it can be challenging but we are dedicated to our members," said Candice. "Being a part of ASTA has been gratifying." She can be reached at cmccullough@amseed.org. ASTA Committees: Involvement = Greater Value Organic Seed Committee Description: The Organic Seed Committee is open to all ASTA members interested in the development of the organic seed industry. The committee formulates policy recommendations and guidelines for review and approval by the ASTA Board of Directors to be submitted to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). The committee supports the organic seed industry for all commodities and, through ASTA staff, interfaces with the USDA-NOP and the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The committee works to resolve technical issues relevant to organic seed production, treatment, use and marketing as prioritized by its members. Current Activities:
Developing guidance for organic seed certifiers (new initiative) Next Scheduled Meeting: ASTA's 126th Annual Convention, Sunday, June 21, 2-4 p.m. Key Contacts:
Seed Company Liability Discussed in Maine. On April 17, the Maine Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry heard the bill (Maine LD 1202) which primarily attempts to hold the seed company that patented a technology strictly liable for the unintended presence of seeds or plant parts developed through modern biotechnology regardless of the company's role or responsibility in the production of the subject crop. ASTA filed testimony against the bill from a legal standpoint basis stating that it is unnecessary and contrary to public policy. Existing legal remedies for individual farmers who allege injury from seed developed through modern biotechnology or any other technology are well established and adequate. The testimony also points out that the bill is misleading in its implied presumption that seed companies have taken legal action against farmers who have unknowingly bought or acquired a patented plant. To the best of ASTA's knowledge, a lawsuit has never been filed against a grower, organic or conventional, based upon the accidental presence of a biotech-improved material in their field or crop. New Cool Season Grass Labeling Requirements Now Law in Maryland. The bill (Maryland SB 91) was signed by the governor last week and is now law. The passing of this bill changes cool season grass seed labeling requirements from "Test Date" to "Sell By" notations, similar to food expiration date labeling. The retailer will benefit from this new labeling because the "Sell By" dating system makes it easier to manage inventories and limit unnecessary re-testing. This bill also allows a change of the re-testing requirement from nine months to 15 months for cool season grass seed. Representatives from the Maryland Department of Agricultural Turf and Seed Section were at the bill signing (back row left to right - Department of Agriculture Legislative Liaison Joanna Kille; Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Buddy Hance; Department of Agriculture Secretary Roger Richardson; Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Mary Ellen Setting; Turf and Seed Chief Lois Capshaw; Turf and Seed Supervising Inspector James Drews; and front row left to right - Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown; Senate President Mike Miller; Gov. Martin O'Malley, Speaker Mike Busch). ASTA filed testimony in support of the bill's passage when it was introduced. April 13-14. The ASTA China and India Working Groups met via conference call. They discussed the next programming activities in both countries. If anyone is interested in participating in these working groups, please contact Lisa Nichols. April 15. ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne and Bernice Slutsky, vice president of science and international affairs, met with a group of Turkish Parliamentarians on the value innovation brings to agriculture. Topics discussed were how innovation helps small farmers, licensing agreements and the importance of science-based regulatory systems. The group came to the United States as part of USDA's Cochran Program. New Web Site Educates Agriculture Community on Benefits of Technology Use. Growers wanting to learn more about precision agriculture technology and how it affects them have a new online resource, www.precisionagworks.com. The site features content to help growers understand the technology including background information, research statistics on cost savings and return on investment through use of precision technology, articles and information on getting started and advancing with the technology, multimedia resources, links to partnering companies and industry contacts. The site, developed by the PrecisionAg Institute, is the online home for the Institute's PrecisionAg WORKS educational campaign, an initiative created by the Institute to help educate the larger agricultural community about the benefits of precision agriculture technology. ISU Seed Science Center to Offer Conditioning and Quality Workshops. The Iowa State University Seed Science Center is offering a full schedule of workshops this summer. Conditioning workshops include color sorting, commercial corn, seed treatment, soybean and small grain, gravity separation and research seed corn. A two-day workshop on corn and soybean seed quality will be offered in August. All workshops include materials to take home, lectures, discussion time and hands-on experience. For more information or to register, please visit www.seeds.iastate.edu and click on Workshops/Training. For more detailed information, see the workshops brochure or call 515-294-6821. AgCareers to Host "Sustainable Strategies to Integrate Hispanic Talent into Your Workplace" Webinar. AgCareers.com will host a brief web session that goes beyond reviewing the basic challenges of employing Hispanic talent, while sharing ideas on how to embrace and use these challenges to the advantage of your organization to positively impact results. The web seminar will be held May 8, 2009, at 11 a.m. EST. There will be a review of the current Hispanic population and the evolving population within the agribusiness workforce. Attendees will learn tips on how to evoke results through the stages of a Hispanic employee's life cycle that may differ from traditional employees. The presenter, Orlando Gil of Training Connections Translation Services, will share thoughts on recruiting Hispanic talent, effective training schemes, retention programs, how to integrate and assimilate Hispanic talent into your workplace culture and more. This workshop is intended for agribusiness organizations that look to hire Hispanic talent with a focus on, but not limited to, production agriculture. Information provided will be suitable and applicable for human resource professionals, managers and business owners. The cost per organization is $189. For more information, click here or contact AgCareers.com at agcareers@agcareers.com.
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USDA/APHIS USDA/ERS
USDA/FAS USDA/GIPSA
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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129th Annual Convention • 2011 Farm & Lawn Seed Conf. • CSS 2011 & Seed Expo • 51st Vegetable & Flower Seed Conf. |