Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Today CSTA released a joint statement with seed industry partners CSGA, CPTA, CSAAC, CSI and CropLife Canada about the essential movement of seed during COVID-19. Seed is the starting point of the food system. Farmers everywhere depend on access to quality seed in order to grow healthy crops. With planting season coming soon, it is a crucial time of year for agriculture, and the seed industry is committed to providing quality seed to farmers when they need it. There is no doubt that the seed industry provides essential services to ensure the security and stability of the agriculture supply chain. You can read the full statement here.

CSTA and CSGA have also announced the cancellation of their Joint Annual Meeting in Winnipeg, which will now be offered as a virtual meeting. There were several factors that led to our decision, including the uncertainty of domestic travel, public health recommendations on large gatherings and the financial implications of moving forward with planning this event.  While we are in the early stages of planning the virtual meeting opportunities, CSGA and CSTA are researching creative options to proceed that will likely include rolling out a webinar series on key topics, offering online surveys for feedback, and hosting a virtual AGM with mail and online voting options for the Seed Synergy Collaboration project. We will share more details in the coming weeks, and we encourage our members to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions of what you would like to see included.