AFSTA reported a membership of 60 during the period under review of whom 11 were from outside Africa.  The importance of the seed industry in African agriculture, as well as trade & industry, was once again evident from the support and active participation of major international bodies such as the Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV), Organization for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) Seed Schemes, the plant genetic resources division of the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) and International Seed Trade Federation (ISF).  Several regional bodies, amongst others, the Western African Seed Network (WASNET), Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern & Central Africa (ASERECA) and the Southern African Seed Security Network (SSSN) were also present.

The AFSTA Secretariat represented the regional seed industry in various international events, i.e. meeting of agricultural input associations in West Africa, meeting on the harmonization of seed legislation in sub-Saharan Africa, 2003 ISF Congress, 2003 APSA Congress and a seminar on soil fertility management in the Netherlands.

The Secretariat was also actively involved with the creation, as well as reinforcement of national seed associations in Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.  It further initiated a partnership with organizations to implement seed projects and seed related activities in West Africa, organized, as well as participated in two training sessions on seed technology and one workshop on modern biotechnology.

During the 2003 AFSTA Congress harmonization of seed legislation in the region was once again one of the most contentious issues dealt with.  Africa is still in the process of regional trade development, which, of course, requires the harmonization of relevant legislation.  Improved availability of, as well as trade in improved seed could only be realized if national trade barriers were overcome through regional harmonization of appropriate legislation.

Other issues included, amongst others, a continuation on the debate on intellectual property rights on plant varieties and the implementation of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture at national level in African countries.

The provisional programme of AFSTA for the next interim comprises a continued effort to facilitate the introduction or reinforcement of national seed trade associations with the aid of funds made available from the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA); the organization of training courses and/or seminars in seed certification, plant variety protection and biotechnology; and the establishment of a reliable and user-friendly database on statistical information in the regional seed industry.