The Asia Seed Congress 2016, an international event overseen by the Asia & Pacific Seed Association to facilitate the import and export of seeds, has helped to open new trade routes for Korean seed varieties.

The Asia Seed Congress 2016, held in Songdo, Incheon, from Nov. 7 to 11, attracted over 1,500 buyers from some 50 countries. At the event, participants engaged in the large-scale trade of seeds, from seed import and export consultations through to signing contracts and meeting new business partners. They shared their ideas on the development of the seed industry and related intellectual property rights, as well as current trends in plant breeds. Overall, the event received positive reviews from all those who attended the conference.





Twenty-four Korean companies, including Nongwoo Bio, Asia Seed and Koregon, participated in the event, and engaged in over 500 consultations with non-Korean buyers. As a result, the total amount of exports for the domestic seed industry is expected to increase around 30 percent, from last year's USD 4.7 million to USD 6.1 million in 2017.

Organizers believe this increase is due in part to the site visits that opened the doors for Korean seed companies with some 207 buyers representing 101 overseas organizations. These visits gave prospective buyers the chance to see how seed varieties are developed and grown in-house, and allowed them to experience the quality of the products first-hand.

By Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Jeon Han, Korea.net Photographer
hlee10@korea.kr