b"We are currently implementing our THASTA 5-Year Strategic Plan toTechnology, the demo will feature and showcase some of the latest seed facilitate effective seed movements and trading while promoting traininginnovations and demonstrations from technology provider companies.and knowledge-sharing at local, regional, and global levels. Aside from giving you more details about this, we also want to update you onDelegates will also be engaged and updated on timely and important several significant seed industry developments happening in Thailandtopics and themes during pre-congress workshop, investment despite these most trying times, Nathwong added.opportunities in Thailand and five technical sessions scheduled Nov. 14-17. Themes and topics to cover include how to attract young talents We hope to see you all again in Asian Seed Congress 2022 as wein the seed sector, all you need to know for investing seed business continue to make the global seed industry a major driving force that hasin Thailand, the latest trends and breakthroughs in gene editing, seen us even through the worst of the pandemic. To all the delegates ofphytosanitary affairs, seed technology, APSA seed academy, University this biggest regional event in the seed industry, we cannot wait to greetconnect program, plant variety protection and biodiversity, as well as on you all this time, Welcome Back!ongoing and planned collaborations and initiatives with stakeholdersnationally, regionally and globally.As an Executive Committee member of both APSA and THASTA, I have much confidence that this coming Congress will be all that we haveThose seeking intel on trends and investment opportunities in this years been missing and more. The relationship between our two associationshost country should not miss the important session planned on Nov. 14, goes back decades, and each of our foundations are interlinked. Severalin which will be explored the many lucrative investment opportunities in THASTA EC members and advisors are also active APSA members,Thailand, which is strategically positioned in ASEAN as a central and and Past Presidents, said APSA President Wichai Laocharoenpornkul. convenient location for seed trade and business in the coming years.Suffice to say, the Executive Committees of APSA and THASTA haveAnd yet another exciting Congress highlight will be the return of the combined experience and expertise totaling many centuries if not#SayNoToSeedPiracya poster and social media campaign to raise millennia, and we can only hope to apply our wealth of knowledge,awareness and interest about the importance of protecting seed IP, contacts and resources to meet and exceed all expectations, so as towhich continues to be a key priority of APSA and the greater seed deliver what we have all been yearning for these past few years, andindustry.welcoming you all back to Southeast Asia for an in-person, face-to-face Congress, Laocharoenpornkul said. On association governance, APSA members will be convening on Nov. 17 for their Annual General Meeting. The agenda includes a number This will be our first physical Congress in post-COVID times, so we areof important governance matters, including elections to fill several looking forward to hosting a large crowd. Many things have to be workedvacancies on the executive committee, APSAs board of directors.out and I am confident that many of the challenges that have kept us virtual since the start of 2020 will have been addressed by then. I amConcluding the week is an on-the-field and in-the-lab immersion confident in both of our Secretariats to make it happen, and I look forwardopportunity. On Nov. 18, two post Congress tours are planned:to the process of putting everything together in the coming months. The first will take delegates to two locationsin the morning, delegates Im quite excited for this opportunity to meet all of our friends in the seedwill visit internationally-renowned East-West Seed headquarters in industry in-person. After not being able to organize a physical CongressNonthaburi, holding their 2022 Annual Field Day, followed by a visit to for two years there is a lot of pent-up demand and expectations, saidthe National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) in APSA Executive Director Dr. Kanokwan Chodchoey. While we organizenorth Bangkok in the afternoon. annual technical sessions and our AGM in 2020 and 2021 online, I think everyone will agree that there is no substitute for an in-person meetingThe second planned tour will bring delegates to NSTDA in the morning,and Congress, which also includes social aspects, networking andfollowed by a visit to leading Thai agriculture and seed company Chia cultural events that only work in the virtual format.Tais Seed Operation Center at Omnoi, west of Bangkok.What to Look Forward to The tours will afford the unique opportunity for delegates to examine closeup the latest in vegetable seed innovation and breeding, The ASC 2022 commences with a Congress Workshop on Nov. 14,including from the private sectorcourtesy of the top two companies which will shine the spotlight on up-and-coming talent of Asias futurein the kingdom and regionas well as the public sector, showcasing seed sectorstudents working and studying in agricultural programsNSTDAs cutting-edge facilities, including its National Center for Genetic at partner institutions in various APAC countries, who will have theEngineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC); National Omics Center opportunity to share their views on how to make the seed sector more(NOC); National Biobank of Thailand (NBT); and Institute of Technology attractive. and Innovation Management for Agriculture (AGRITEC). Then, on Nov. 15, during the Inaugural Session, ASPA awardees will beIt's 2022 going on 2030, dont get left behind. Seed you in Bangkok! recognized for their contributions. In addition to awardees nominated by THASTA from the public and private sectors, other award recipient toThe full agenda, programs, venue and registration details of ASC 2022 be honored include Most Influential Seed Technologist in APAC region,can be found on apsaseed.org/asc2022. Be sure to follow APSA on which is a new initiative this year. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, where we will announce more details and updates on all of our programs and sessions leading up Another new feature of the event will be a techno-commercialto Congress.demo session. An initiative of APSAs Standing Committee on Seed OCTOBER 2022SEEDWORLD.COM /49"