TURKEY SEED RAISING AND SEED TECHNOLOGIES FAIR
28-31^st October 2010 / ISTANBUL

The seed, which is one of the inputs determining the quality and quantity of the vegetable product in agriculture, is the first circle of the food chain and has a strategic importance for the agricultural sectors of the countries as the structural indicator of the biological and cultural diversity. Seed, which has become a commercial value with the increase in the world population, is a natural richness which includes the alive resources which ensures the survival of the human life and applied in covering their fundamental needs. Today seed is not only an agricultural input which influences the upper limit of productivity to be reached in the vegetable production directly and the productivity levels of all of the other inputs which are used in the production process indirectly but also it is a product having the economical value which is obtained by means of using the technology and brings high revenue at the same time.

The concept of technologic seed has been developed very rapidly in the recent 40 years. The characteristics which are acquired by the seeds as a result of a classical plant improvement process followed by the F1 hybrid technology which is transferred into implementation have developed the concept of seed. Together with these developments, the applications which will improve the health quality of the seeds such as the disinfection, pesticide application and the techniques which will provide improvements in the performance characteristics such as the calibration, coating and pre-grassing applications made the seed a technological product in real meaning.

The development of the seed raising sector in our country started with the release of the seed prices which are previously determined by the public, permitting the seed importations, organizing the sector as a professional organization and encouragement of the seed raising investments. What directed the development of the sector is the “Law concerning the protection of the improving rights belonging to the new plant types” and the “Law of seed raising”. In particular, the sector organized in a better way with the law of seed raising, and then Turkey Union of Seed raisers and the other sub unions which are bound to this union were established.

The target of the Turkey Union of Seed raisers concerning the sector is to ensure the increase in the seed quantity and to obtain high-quality seeds, to ensure seed diversification, to cover the request in the domestic market and to create a sector which has an important share and competitive power in the worldwide markets. The Ministry policies and the private sector and public sector collaboration are very important for the purpose of realization of this target.

“Turkey Seed raising and Seed Technologies Fair” which will be organized in Istanbul World Commerce Center which will be organized between the dates 28-31st October 2010 with the collaboration of the Turkey Union of Seed raisers will get together the experts in the sector and the persons who are interested in the subject. The fairs make important contributions to the economy of not only the organizing city but also the entire country as the organizations which get together the supply and demand and which ensures fresh opening to the new markets.

Turkey Seed raising and Seed Technologies Fair should be considered as an important opportunity for the seed raising sector in Turkey. The fair will help ensuring the communication and collaboration between the stakeholders of the sector with regard to the realization of the sector targets. We thank the sector representatives who participate in the fair and we wish the fair to be beneficial for the entire seed raising sector of our country.
 

Mehmet Mehdi EKER
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs