Ukrainian Seed Partnership Association has become an Ordinary Member of the ISF

An Annual ISF World Seed Congress was held on the 26-28^th of June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro (Brasil). It gathered 800 representatives from different countries of the world. In such an authoritative forum the national seed industry was represented by the delegation of the Ukrainian Seed Partnership Association and State Enterprise “State Seed Reserve Fund of Ukraine”.

On account of the voting results USP Association has received a status of an Ordinary Member of the ISF.

This event is undoubtedly of great importance for our sectoral association, - noted Gennadii Kiiko, the executive director of the Association. – The most important thing is that now all our members have an opportunity to take part in the congresses, exhibitions, present their production on different trading floors, that is constantly being organized under the aegis of the ISF, with minimal financial expenses. As it is known, ISF is an authoritative organization with almost centenarian history.

It represents the interests of global seed industry on the international level, facilitates the development of modern technologies and plays an important role in the reinforcement of cooperation between national and regional seed associations. ISF controls the process of signing of the international treaties, conventions and agreements that form the politics in seed sector. Thus membership in the ISF is not only a prestige, but also great possibilities, - emphasized Gennadii Kiiko.

The evidence that Ukraine has received such an opportunity has come out as a high interest of foreign representatives to the Ukrainian exposition during the forum. Potential partners are interested not only in the prospect of promotion of their own varieties on the territory of our country, but also in the achievements of national breeding science. Thus the representatives of seed companies in Uruguay, Czech Republic and India are interested in the Ukrainian varieties of the cereal crops. Austria are ready to test national varieties of early-ripening soybean, Argentina studies possibilities of cooperation in the sphere of sunflower seed growing, Australia – grain sorghum, Russia and Baltic – perennial herbs.

As a result of fruitful work of the Ukrainian delegation in the improvement of image of national seed industry was start of the negotiations concerning succeeding partnership and signing of the appropriate Memorandums with seed associations of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Spain, Poland, India.

Among the prior tasks which the Ukrainian Seed Partnership Association has set at the beginning of its functioning is the obtainment of a membership status in the authoritative international structures. It gives an opportunity to accelerate the process of implementation of global standards in the seed industry, facilitates the development of international trade, notably strengthens positions of Ukraine on the international market. We are successively moving in this direction and, as it can be seen through the practice, we are quite successful.