b'COUNTER-SEASON and COVID-19HOW EUROPEAN AND CHILEAN SEED COMPANIES AND AGENCIES ARE MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF COUNTER-SEASON PRODUCTION DURING A PANDEMIC.BY: TREENA HEIN E ven though the pandemic has caused challenges large and small around the world this year, right now as you read this, counter-season seed production is proceeding in Chile in quite a normal way. This is good news for both the European and global seed indus-try and all those worldwide that eat food products made from the crops involved.Both seed production and research trials in Chile, which take place roughly from September to March, have been crit-ical activities for seed firms in Europe and around the world for many years, and in some cases, for decades. As Mario Schindler, executive director at the Chilean Seed Association (ANPROS),Seed processing. Source: Bayerhas noted, this is due to Chiles climate and the development of world-class seed industry with a highly-skilled and knowl- must be done more in advance than usual.seed community can deal with these. edgeable workforce and all the necessarySending the seed as soon as possible toAgriculture has been declared of stra-support systems.Chile is one of the main challenges, astegic importance by the Chilean govern-In May 2020, Miguel Angel Sanchez,well as all the planning, Schindler says.ment, and therefore even if a Chilean city executive director at ChileBIO CropLifeAt the same time, ANPROS has beenis put under lockdown, all those involved reflected in a journal article on the factdoing what it can. We have been work- in activities such as seed production can that Chile is now a main global player ining with our authorities in order to imple- move within and in/out of a city with the terms of seed production and research.ment different actions for speeding upproper paperwork. In terms of entry for Chile has a key role contributing to theevery process regarding seed movement,foreigners, it is important to note that as reduction in seed production shortages inSchindler reports, such as a joint workingof press time:the Northern Hemisphere by speeding upgroup ANPROS-SAG (SAG is the Chilean-All non-residents who have been the development of new hybrids, cultivarsMinistry of Agriculture) thats monitoringin the UK in the last 14 days are and genetically-modified (GM) organ- every single potential problem.banned from entering the country.isms, he states. Between 2009 and 2018,Nicols Sahli, CEO at Chilean agri- -Every person entering the country 1,081 different seed-planting events werecultural firm CIS Agro, echoes Schindlermust have a negative PCR, taken undertaken for seed multiplication and/ in his advice for European seed compa- 72 hours before boarding the plane or research purposes. Every single eventnies and those based elsewhere. Act inand the proper paperwork. that had commodity cultivation status inadvance, Sahli says, plan more and be-From December 31, 2020 and for a 2018 in at least one country underwentrigorous with documentation to avoidperiod to be determined, all those field activities in Chile at least once overunforced mistakes. He thinks ANPROSwho enter the country must per-the last 10 years.has done a great job coordinating withform a 10-day quarantine (regard-Sanchez adds that because ChileCustoms, SAG and other Chilean author- less of their nationality, if they has just adopted a regulatory approachities to make sure the movement of seedare Chilean or resident). They for new plant breeding techniques, thisis proceeding, and that more documenta- may leave the quarantine with a should contribute to maintaining thetion is going electronic. Indeed,negative PCR result, which can countrys status as a hot spot for futureANPROS and ANPROS-SAG are col- be taken from the seventh day of innovation in plant breeding-based bio- laborating with the Chilean authorities toquarantine onwards. While waiting technology. digitize more paperwork related to seedfor their result, they must remain certification and phytosanitary certifica- in quarantine. Rules may be sub-PLANNING AHEAD KEY tion. Chile already has the e-Phyto (elec- ject to change as the COVID-19 One of the most striking global effectstronic phytosanitary certificate) systemsituation is always evolving.of COVID-19 has been delays in shippingin place with the EU, U.S., Argentina and goods. ANPROS has therefore been stress- other countries. Schindler and his teamCOMPANIES CHECK INing for some time that everything to dohave also sent inquiries to the governmentTo hear more about how things are going with counter-season production in Chileregarding travel restrictions and how thein Chile, we reached Eduardo de la Sotta, 30IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'