Bassersdorf, Switzerland
September 27, 2019

Ōtautahi Christchurch’s standing in the global seed industry will be on display when a significant seed testing conference comes to the city in 2022.

The International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) Congress will take place in Ōtautahi Christchurch from 11-18 May 2022. It will be held at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.

ISTA President Craig McGill, a New Zealander, announced Christchurch as the 2022 host at the 32nd ISTA Congress in Hyderabad, India, in mid-2019. It is being held in the city at the invitation of the Ministry for Primary Industries.

“Christchurch is the ideal location for the Congress because it lies at the heart of the Canterbury Plains, the main seed producing area in New Zealand,” McGill said.

Most of New Zealand’s $243 million seed exports are sourced from Canterbury. The local industry is focused on seed for pasture; forage grasses like ryegrass and clover; and cereal grain crops like wheat.

“For the New Zealand seed industry, having the Congress here gives us the opportunity to showcase our seed sector, and the seed systems that operate in New Zealand,” McGill said. Delegates will experience a progressive and future-focused city when visiting Christchurch, surrounded by a thriving agricultural and seed-producing sector.

Christchurch boasts a large number of growers, processors and merchants, as well as research institutions focused on seed. Two of the four ISTA-acredited New Zealand seed laboratories are based in and around Christchurch, and many local labs have ISTA members within them.

The Congress is held every three years, and brings together seed experts from more than 70 countries, giving delegates the chance to network with their global counterparts. ISTA members include scientists, seed technologists, policy makers and regulators. It is a premier global event for the industry.

Karena Finnie, ChristchurchNZ Head of Major and Business Events, said hosting the congress in Christchurch was a great win for the city.

“Canterbury is a proud agricultural region, has been for generations, and the seed industry makes up a crucial aspect of that,” Finnie said.

“The ISTA 2022 Congress will be a fantastic networking opportunity for industry experts, a fulfilling experience for our local seed industry and international visitors, and a chance for delegates to explore everything on offer in our revitalised city.”
 

Website: http://www.seedtest.org

Published: September 27, 2019