The Philippine Seed Industry Association (PSIA) elected a new set of board of directors and officers during its General Assembly, which was held on 12 December 2022 at the Admiral Hotel, Malate, Manila. The new board was inducted into office by Chief Mary Ann Guerrero, Head Secretariat of the National Seed Industry Council and the Plant Variety Office, and will serve until 2024.
The PSIA Board of Directors is composed of 11 member companies and organizations, namely Allied Botanical Corporation, Bayer, Corteva Agriscience, East-West Seed, Harbest Agribusiness Corporation, Haverson Enterprises, National Seed Foundation Institute of Plant Breeding, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Pilipinas Kaneko Seeds Corporation, Ramgo International Corporation, SL Agritech Corporation, and Syngenta.
The PSIA is also proud to announce its officers – President Mary Ann Sayoc (East-West Seed), Vice President Julius Barcelona (Harbest Agribusiness Corporation, Corporate Secretary Arra Jane Tiburcio-Delgado (Allied Botanical Corporation), Treasurer Pamela Chan (Ramgo International Corporation), and Public Relations Officer Jenny Panopio (Corteva Agriscience).
President Sayoc presented the PSIA’s 2022 year-end report, highlighting PSIA’s initiatives, projects and partnerships, and engagements locally and internationally, such as the following:
Projects and awareness campaigns
Variety awareness demonstration and advocacy project capped by a harvest festival, in partnership with the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries
Green Revolution 2.0 by the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry
Social Media campaign and GoEden marketing platform
Training and Advocacy
Technology Development seminars
Sustainable agriculture and food system for better food and nutrition webinar series
Biotech and gene editing webinars
Launch of the Philippine Vegetable Industry Road Map
Technology showcase and networking
Agrilink 2022, Manila, Philippines
World Seed Congress 2022, Barcelona, Spain
27th Asian Seed Congress, Bangkok, Thailand
Policy outreach and coordination with the agriculture department, bureaus, and organizations specially on seed importation issues and benefits of International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants or UPOV membership.
Dr. Sayoc also reported on the Association’s upcoming projects and engagements such as “Halamanan sa BPI”, Vegetable Demo & Advocacy in Bulacan, internship program with UPLB, and the National Seed Summit. Finally, she inspired the members to share their blessings with those who have less in life at the Christmas season and always.
Held back-to-back with General Assembly, PSIA members enjoyed its year-end and holiday celebration with a sumptuous dinner, raffles, and parlor games.
During his special Christmas message, PSIA Executive Director, Dr. Gabriel Romero first congratulated the newly elected Board of Directors and officers.
Moreover, as an industry serving farmers, with the responsibility to partake in Christ’s mission to help the marginalized sectors, Dr. Romero encouraged the PSIA members to keep striving and working hand-in-hand to overcome the impacts of the still-lingering pandemic, increasing prices of commodities, and other challenges confronting the seed sector and the nation. “Just like what Jesus did, we need to enter their world, understand the challenges they face, and help them achieve their aspirations,” he emphasized.
by Em-Em S. Mandanas
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