Mark your Calendar for Special Sessions on Cuba, Plant Breeding Innovation, and much more at ASTA’s Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference!

  • On January 26, 2017

If you’re heading to Orlando later this week for ASTA’s Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference, be sure to mark your calendars for a few sessions you won’t want to miss!

First, the Global Business Session – Cuba, Sunday 3:30 – 5:30 p.m., will give an inside look at the political, agricultural and business environment in Cuba. The panel discussion features leading university and industry experts with extensive knowledge and personal involvement in activities in Cuba over the past several years as U.S. policy with Cuba has evolved. Dr. Jack Payne, Senior Vice President, UF-Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), will moderate the session of star studded panelists:

  • Dr. Frederick Royce, UF, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Program manager between UF – University of Havana;
  • Matthew Johnston, HM CLAUSE, CEO; and
  • Pedro Sanchez, University of Florida, Research Professor, Tropical Soils – World Food Prize Laureate.

Second, the Opening General Session, Monday 8:30 – 11:00 a.m. will feature a two-part program with a special presentation from Disney and a panel on Plant Breeding Innovation.
Disney’s Eric Darden, head of Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival, will offer the keynote presentation (including a special announcement for the seed industry!). The keynote will be followed by an outstanding panel discussion on plant breeding innovation, with:

  • Harold Browning, Chief Operations Officer, Citrus Research and Development Foundation;
  • Harry Klee, Eminent Scholar and Professor, UF
  • Kevin Diehl, Director, Regulatory Strategy and Industry Relations, DuPont Pioneer; and
  • Bernice Slutsky, Sr. VP, Domestic & International Policy, ASTA. Click here for more information including speaker bios.

Finally, we have a number of committee and working group meetings are will be addressing issues important to the vegetable and flower seed sectors and we need you input and expertise at the table! Please plan on attending those meetings. We look forward to seeing you in Orlando and I hope you’ll make time to attend these very special sessions planned for this year’s meeting. Safe travels in we’ll see you in Florida!