Though it’s the final day of the Independent Professional Seed Association’s (IPSA) Annual Conference, it’s definitely not the end of the excitement. After two years, IPSA joined together in Indianapolis, Ind., to talk through topics ranging from agronomy to economics to policies in D.C.
“We’ve been really lucky,” says Todd Martin, CEO of IPSA. “The conference has been going great. We had 489 registered.”
And while some weather problems created issues with travel and a few attendees couldn’t manage to make it due to COVID-19, Martin says 417 attendees were able to join together.
The biggest benefit to meeting in person, though, was to discuss some concerns popping up that affects the independent seed sector.
“There’s been a lot that’s happened in the last 24 months since we’ve been together,” Martin says. “One of the biggest concerns is a framework proposed by the EPA that I believe might be one of the most critical frameworks that the EPA has put out since the advent of Bt.”
Martin says it’s a framework that could change the entire way the independent corn sector goes to market with Bt and the entire way that farmers could access biotechnology.
“It’s something we’ve been working on in coordination with the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) for the last 16 months,” he says. “We’re trying to continue to work there to get a good outcome that will benefit not only our seed companies, but our farmers as well.”
In addition, there’s a lot of talk with the Biden administration around competition in the agriculture industry.
Martin says one of the things independents bring to the marketplace that is incredibly important is competition.
“We’re very supportive of what’s happening in those discussions, but it’s something we want to keep watching out for,” Martin says.
Watch the video below for the entire conversation:
