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Asia-Pacific Symposium on Molecular Breeding held in Taiwan

2013-10-01

Agricultural representatives from 11 countries gather ed for an important symposium in Shanhua in southern Taiwan from October 1 st through October 3 rd. The meeting is organized by the Council of Agriculture (COA) , together with the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) and the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC)-The World Vegetable Center, in order to enhance the application of molecular breeding technology in the Asia-Pacific region.

APAARI, under the sponsorship of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, is an important organization in the Asia-Pacific region, with 20 institutional members from 19 countries. Taiwan’s COA has been a regular member since 1999.

Many of the world’s largest food producers and exporting countries are located in the Asia-Pacific region. Faced with an increasing world population and decreasing arable land, their top priority is to improve production efficiency. Thanks to the rapid development of biotechnology in recent years, especially the application of molecular breeding technology and marker-assisted selection (MAS), many producers have benefited.

Officials of the COA said that the representatives and experts at the meeting discuss ed and exchange d ideas on a variety of topics, such as new techniques in molecular breeding technology, practical applications and intra-regional cooperation.

Officials expect that the event will significantly enhance the public sector’s ability in molecular breeding technology, as well as promote the cooperation of experts and various research institutions in the area, which will not only assist the development of breakthrough applications in molecular breeding technology, but also enrich Taiwan’s agricultural technology knowledge base, and also strengthen Taiwan’s relationship with the institutions in the Asia-Pacific region and improve international visibility.