Legislations & the future of the seed industry in Egypt

I greatly acknowledge the past work of many authors but mainly Dr. Hamdino, Dr. J.De lueche & Dr. D.Kerz

Adel Yaseen

Khun-Anup“The Eloquent Peasant”

The Eloquent Peasant

In the British Museum in London.

Helps us understand the Ancient Egyptian’s sense of right and wrong.

Ma’atEGYPTIAN GODDESS

The daughter of the sun god Ra, she was associated with

Thoth, god of Wisdom.

In its abstract sense, Ma’at was the divine order

established at creation and reaffirmed at the accession of

each king of Egypt. In setting Ma’at ‘order’ in place of

the ‘disorder’, the king played the role of the sun god.

Ma’at stood at the heaod f the sun god’s bark as it

traveled through the sky and the underworld. Although

aspects of kingship and a Ma’at were at times subjected to

criticism and reformulation, the principles underlying

these two institutions were fundamental to ancient

Egyptian life and thought and endured to the end of

ancient Egyptian history.

Maat or Ma’at refers to the ancient Egyptian concepts of truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice.

Symbol: The ostrich feather

Parents: Ra

Major cult center: All ancient Egyptian cities

Consort: Thoth (in some accounts)

Ma’at was the central premise of Egyptian stability.

It was the concept of order, truth and justice, and it formed the overriding principle of harmony.

Egyptians believed that living in accordance with Ma’at would achieve harmony with Gods and also would assure a place in the after world.

The pharaoh was believed to be an essential entity in the Ma’at, If his world remained harmonium then so too would the peoples of Egypt.

To all the lawyers and decisions were aimed at appeasing the harmony of Ma’atand maintaining order, truth and justice.

The concept of Ma’at:

Seed Industry in Ancient Egypt

Seeds were recognized for yield improvement

Some seed selection / trade

Cleaning using manual sieves.

Baskets and silos were used to store seeds mixed with ashes.

Seeds Market in Egypt in Tons

Year2017

Crop

Imported Field Crops Seeds 5,913

Local Field Crops Seeds 134,394

Imported Vegetable Seeds 581

Local Vegetable Seeds 121

Local Potato Seeds 137,835

Imported Potato Seeds 155,003

Registered Varieties

Private Government Total

Vegetable varieties 862 25 887

Field crops varieties 261 165 426

Total 1,123 190 1,313

Registered Corn Seeds

Yellow White Total Private Government

Single X 56 37 93 67 26

3WX 12 19 31 19 12

All hybrids 68 56 124 86 38

Vegetable registered varietiesVarieties Private Government Total

1 Beans 15 1 162 Melon 59 0 593 Cantaloupe 16 1 174 Pepper 121 0 1215 Cucumber 115 3 1186 Carrot 13 0 137 Squash 72 2 748 Tomatoes 181 0 1819 Eggplant 55 2 57

10 potatoes 120 5 12511 Watermelon 38 3 4112 Cabbage 12 0 1213 Lettuce 8 0 814 Sweet potato 1 0 115 Grafting assets 12 0 12

Vegetable registered varieties (continued)

Varieties Private Government Total

16 Peas 6 3 9

17 Radish 0 0 0

18 Cauliflower 7 0 7

19 Cowpea 0 3 3

20 Okra 1 0 1

21 Broad bean 1 1 2

22 Broccoli 1 0 1

23 Garlic 0 1 1

24 Table beet 1 0 1

25 Sweet corn 3 0 3

26 Onions 2 0 2

27 Strawberries 1 0 1

28 Turnip 1 0 1

Total 862 25 887

Field crops registered varietiesVarieties Private Government Total

1 Broad bean 0 14 14

2 Rice 0 5 5

3 Maize 86 38 124

4 Sorghum 10 2 12

5 Wheat 2 21 23

6 Sugar beet 140 38 178

7 Cotton 0 5 5

8 Flax 0 8 8

9 Safflower 0 2 2

10 Barley 2 6 8

11 Peanut 1 0 1

12 Soybean 0 6 6

13 Sunflower 2 0 2

14 Onion 0 2 2

15 Chickpea 0 1 1

16 Alfalfa 16 3 19

17 Clover 0 6 6

18 Canola 0 0 0

19 Sugar Cane 0 2 2

20 Lentil 0 6 6

21 Quinoa 2 0 2

Total 261 165 426

Seed Legislations in Contemporary Egypt

Cotton seed (unit) was established in 1922.

Unit was progressively upgraded to a branch in 1957.

Directorate 1960.

Under secretariat in 1980 (CASA)) “Central administration for seed affaires”

Laws and regulations

Seed Law no 5 of 1926 : Cotton seed production.

Seed law no 123 of 1946 : Seed production of other major crops.

Seed law no 52 of 1957 : To regulate testing and handing.

Seed law no 53 of 1966 : An all-inclusive act gave MARLstatutory responsibility in Egypt

Winds of privatization

This started in 80’s.

Separate certification from production CASP and CASC.

Establish an independent agency for testing and release.

Make ARC focus on research.

Stimulate seed association (s) to exchange views with government.

Seed Certifications

CASC.

Implements seed quality control.

Seed certification.

And generally law enforcement.

It has 5 general directorates.

CASC

Seed measures and developments.

Field inspections & testing.

Seed testing affairs in the governorates.

Gins and Oil mills.

Seed certification.

A numerous number of decrees, especially decree no 368 of 1998.

Four classes of seeds breeder, foundations certified “1” and certified “2”.

22 labs in governorates & 3 main central labs all ISTA certified.

CASC charges fees.

Variety evaluation & registration (VRC)

Permanent secretariat is appointed from CASC.

Members come from ARC institutions and various MARL heads in addition to ESIA, Egyptian plant breeders association, and universities.

Head is the president of ARC.

ARC has the capacity needed.

Attempt to avoid conflict of interest have so far not succeeded.

VRC meets quarterly.

In line with OECD, UPOV, WTO /TRIPS agreement.

Phytosanitary (CAPQ)

Brown rot disease.

Aflatoxins in peanuts.

Plant quarantine.

A huge organization of well organized labs and employees.

In contact with CASC, IPPC (international plant protection convention) and has a wide mandate.

This includes lists of seed born pathogens and testing using ISTA standard operations.

Plant Variety Protection

Only since 2002 a new law no 82/2002 established full right for the breeder.

Legislation was in chapter 4 of the law.

A ministerial decree issued in 2003 established an office for PVP in CASC.

A new law allowing Egypt to become a member in UPOV is in time for parliamentary discussion.

National Seed Council

Ministerial decree no 820 of 1988.

To advise MARL

And to lead, guide and monitor reforms in the seed sector.

Agricultural Seeds Committee (ASC)

Gives import/export permissions

Based on seed law number 43/1966

Number of seeds traders about 12,000

Number of registered seeds companies is about 100

Imports are mainly vegetable seeds, oil seeds and sugar beet seeds.

Exports are mainly Egyptian clover, leafy crops seeds & hybrid vegetable seeds.

Export markets are Pakistan, India, Gulf & Netherlands.

Biotechnology

1992: Egypt adopts Convention on Biodiversity (CBD).

1994: Egypt ratifies CBD.

1995: Ministerial decree no 85 establishing National Biosafety

Committee (NBC).

1995: Decree 136 establishing obligation to obtain permit from NBC.

1997: decree 242 requiring the necessity to obtain approval from

Supreme Council on Food Safety (SCFS).

1998: Decree 1648, protocol for GM seeds registration.

2003:Egypt ratifies Cartagena Protocol (CPB).

Biotechnology (Continued)

2006: Decree 767 established the National Competent Authority.

2007: Decree 19 nominated new members and the secretariat for NBC.

2008: Commercialization of Egypt’s first and Africa’s second Biotech seed. It was a Bt- Corn variety Ajeeb YG by Fine Seeds.

2011: Commencement of a devilish plan for the destruction of modern Egypt (25 Jan 2011).

2011: Ajeeb YG supplies interrupted (twice).

2013: The people of Egypt rise on June 30th and impeach, with the help of the army, the rule of the implanted religious fascism.

2018: A draft Biosafety law is in the que in the parliament waiting for approval.

Egyptian Seed Industry Association (ESIA)

Since inception in 2006 ESIA has:

1- Succeeded in being represented on boards of all main decision making committees in MARL.

2- Improved the environment in seed committee, VRC, assisted with UPOV, new seed law, ARC varieties release guidelines ,etc.

3- And is still struggling to make to Simplify samples procedures.

Simplify registration procedures.

Make access to data easier.

Continued,

• Widens and strengthens the role of SC.

• Work on crop value chain to ascertain better seed provision to market.

The Future of the Seed Industry in Egypt

Judging by the previously presented data,

Continuing to learn from other fellow Africans experiences

And trusting in our inherent Khun-anukh’s spirit of the distant past of justice, balance and harmony;

I trust that the future legislative milieu with seeds in Egypt, will strive from strength to strength.

I hope you enjoyed the presentation and thank you