Message from AFSTA President – Mr. Amadou Sarr

On behalf of the Board and the Secretariat, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the AFSTA 25^th Annual Congress. This Special Congress celebrating the 25^th Anniversary of AFSTA will be held in Rwanda, in the beautiful city of hills Kigali.

The congress is that platform that enables seed people from all over Africa and beyond to network and exchange ideas on what the current situations portend to the future of seed production and trade. .

The annual AFSTA congresses provide great opportunities for the seed industry stakeholders to network and trade, and also to provide information on the latest policy developments that have the potential to impact seed trade activities in Africa.

We believe that when professionals meet together in such in person forums, they are able to share experiences as well as predict and influence where they want the seed sector to be in the coming years.

In this congress, we will discuss, among other issues the state of implementation of the harmonized seed trade policies and regulations by member States, as well as the Africa Free Trade agreement and its potential impact on the Seed Industry. We will do this because AFSTA remains relentless in advocating for improvement of the seed trade within Africa, a key mandate for the association. 

We take pride that our congresses attract several high-profile delegates from Africa and globally. The 2025 Congress will be another exceptional opportunity to market high quality products and technologies.

Besides we invite you to take up sponsorship and also showcase your products and services by booking an exhibition booth and advertise in the African Seed Magazine.  In addition, there will be exclusive reserved trading tables for delegates trade negotiations as well as the paid advert on AFSTA’s homepage ww.afsta.org for the visibility of your company and products.

Apart from the main business of discussions on seed matters, Rwanda deserves a spot on everyone’s travel list. Its magnificent tourist sites, rich culture, colourful cities and a reputation for world class hospitality makes the country a tempting sanctuary. Located at the heart of East Africa, Rwanda is known as the ‘the land of 1000 hills’ and has been welcoming travellers from Europe and the Americas for centuries.

Kigali is not only one of the continent’s beautiful and most accessible cities, but it is also a city blessed with a rich culture, magnificent tourist sites makes it easy to travel to some of the best wild-life spotting opportunities anywhere in Africa.

Welcome to Kigali! Welcome to AFSTA Annual Congress 2025 and enjoy the celebration of the 25 anniversary of AFSTA and the hospitality of Rwanda. May it be a fruitful one for all of you and may all its aspects be a source of contentment and benefit to you and your organizations.