Gönen, in his statement to the AA correspondent, stated that Türkiye is among the important countries in agriculture and especially vegetable production.
Stating that Türkiye stands out in the world in tomato production, Gönen noted that the country is among the top 5 countries in the world in tomato supply.
Explaining that there have been significant changes in the seed industry after 1980, Gönen stated that Türkiye has become an important seed country on a global scale with the steps taken in this process.
Reminding that they hosted the International Seed Federation's World Seed Congress in Istanbul last year, Gönen said that the Asia Pacific Seed Association (APSA)'s "International Asian Seed Congress" (ASC 2026) will be held in Türkiye this year.
Stating that Türkiye's strategy towards Asia Pacific countries overlaps with its agricultural and seed growing activities, Gönen stated that relations with APSA started during the Covid-19 epidemic period and gradually grew stronger afterwards.
Stating that APSA includes many seed companies in Asia Pacific countries, Gönen said that the Turkish Seed Industry Association and the Turkish Seed Producers Association are also members of APSA.
Gönen stated that ASC 2026 is an important result of Türkiye's work on the Asia Pacific market and said:
"National seed farming is very important, but when you look at seed companies, they do not progress by targeting only the country in which they are located. We have many seed companies working internationally. Therefore, they both import and export. Our goal in approaching the Asian market is to increase the commercial scale in seed production and to integrate the companies more. Both to attract those companies here and to draw a new road map for us to get there. The important thing is mutual trade."
Seed farming is now going digital
Explaining that many issues will be discussed within the scope of ASC 2026, especially agricultural quarantine, technical applications and sectoral collaborations, Gönen emphasized that seed growing is not only a commercial sector but also a sector that requires a high level of technical knowledge.
Pointing out the importance of international information sharing on issues such as soil fertility, the effects of climate change, and the fight against viruses and bacteria, Gönen said that common solutions to common problems should be developed.
Pointing out that digitalization is becoming increasingly important in the seed industry, Gönen said, "There is now digitalization in seed growing. When you wear an international hat, you have to obtain information, apply it and compete. Artificial intelligence is a new technology for seed growers. Of course, there are companies using it, but there is still progress to be made." he said.
Gönen noted that in order to strengthen Türkiye's position in the international seed market, it is important for companies in the sector to increase their global collaborations and open up to new markets.
40 million kilograms of seed exports to the Asian continent
Türkiye exported a total of 40 million 384 thousand 966 kilograms of seeds to the Asian continent in 2025. An income of 106 million 292 thousand 812 dollars was obtained from this.
The most seed exports were to Iraq with 12 million 951 thousand 238 kilograms, to Syria with 8 million 157 thousand 999 kilograms, and to Uzbekistan with 2 million 996 thousand 981 kilograms. These countries were followed by Cyprus, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
The backbone of Türkiye's seed exports to the Asian market consists of hybrid corn, sunflower seeds, vegetable seeds, grain group, cotton seeds and alfalfa. However, the product pattern varies by region. Field crops-seeds stand out in Central Asia and the Caucasus, and high-value vegetable seeds stand out in East-South Asian markets such as China, Japan, South Korea and India.
