On 28 November, the ECO Seed Association (ECOSA) held the eighth session of its online initiative reviewing the current status of seed sectors and investment opportunities across ECOSA Member Countries, this time showcasing the seed sector of the Republic of Türkiye.
The meeting gathered more than 60 participants from both the public and private sectors across the ECO region, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Pakistan and Türkiye. The session featured a two-part presentation by Mr. Umut Özdil, Press Advisor at the Turkish Seed Producers Association (TÜRKTOB), beginning with an overview of ECO and its affiliated body ECOSA, followed by a comprehensive presentation on Türkiye’s seed sector.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Can Aygül, Director for Agriculture and Industry at the ECO Secretariat, highlighted the progress made in strengthening regional cooperation among ECO Member States in the seed sector, expressing appreciation to ECOSA, its technical team, and national authorities for their sustained engagement throughout the year. He underscored key facts and statistics demonstrating the growth of Türkiye’s seed sector, including its recent foreign trade surplus and its trajectory toward becoming one of the world’s top five seed producers by 2030.
Mr. Aygül further emphasized that, as the ECO advances its broader agenda on sustainable agriculture and food security, the outcomes of this meeting series will inform preparations for the upcoming 8th Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and the 7th High-Level Experts Meeting, to be hosted by the Islamic Republic of Iran on 16–17 February 2026, where promoting seed supply and trade will be among the main focus areas.
The next and final ECOSA session of 2025 is expected to showcase the seed sector of Turkmenistan.
