There have been a few updates to the website where I’ve added some details on projects undertaken by AgConAsia in addition to some details on opportunities in the agriculture sector. More and more will be posted over time as I put the details onto the website. For more details on any of the projects/opportunities just contact me by email tom.burns@agconasia.com.
Just to highlight a few.
Cambodia: there have been lots of proposed changes in the seed sector. AQIP was last year sold off (of sorts) to insiders in the Hun Sen regime and there are plans (have been for some years) to finally adopt the seed law. Also there are plans at restricting access to the seed sector from outside Cambodia (currently dominated by Vietnam and Thailand, especially rice).
Seed Sectors of Thailand, China and India: Review on this which offers some interesting challenges.
Uzbekistan: The one-crop cotton system in Uzbekistan is slowing changing but the research and development sector, both private and public, are lagging in support for diversification into alternative crops.
GMO’s? The genetically modified crop sector looks for a major change if the USDA-APHIS rule that Crispr-edited crops fall outside the regulatory environment. USDA-APHIS have already ruled that a mushroom falls outside the regulations and there are submissions from numerous Universities/Research Institutions and agri-companies for similar such rulings. It is a wait and see situation for the moment, at least for the US. Stagnation is still the situation for Europe and many other countries. China also has yet to finally decide, although an earlier ruling did not exclude them from regulation.