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The CWANA region covers an area of 1.7 billion ha with an estimated population of over 700 million people and a huge potential for regional seed market.

Organisers: The Turkish Seed Industry Association (TURKTED) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)
Dates: 29 November to 1 December 2005
Location: Cornelia De Lux Resort, Antalya, Turkey.

The Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region covers an area of 1.7 billion ha with an estimated population of over 700 million people and a huge potential for regional seed market. Trade statistics show that the West Asia and North Africa region alone annually imports agricultural seeds worth more than USD200 million. The international seed conference is aimed at exploring and promoting seed trade within the CWANA region. The Seed Trade Conference will provide a forum to promote business interactions and alliances among seed companies within and outside the region and to share experience in seed trade among seed industry stakeholders in the region. Conference participants will come from the private sector (seed companies, agricultural input suppliers, and seed equipment manufacturers), public sector, international/regional/national seed trade associations and international/regional development organizations working on seeds.

While the main focus of the conference will be on business transactions, the conference program includes key presentations covering policy, regulatory, institutional and technical issues currently affecting the seed industry development at global, regional and national levels. Topics include:

• Impacts of International Treaties and Agreements on Seed Trade
• The Status and Prospects of Seed Industry in the CWANA Region
• The Status and Prospects of Vegetable Seed Market in the CWANA Region
• Public-Private Sector Partnership in Seed Sector Development
• Regulatory Choices to Support Seed Sector Development
• Plant Variety Protection and its Impact in Seed Sector Development

The Conference will also explore opportunities for the formation of a regional seed association to encourage and stimulate seed trade among countries in the Central and West Asia and North Africa Region.

Associated websites:

• http://www.icarda.cgiar.org/announcement/SeedTradeConf/seedtradeconf_Nov-Dec05.htm
• http://www.turkted.org.tr