ACRONYMS
        •  ISTA: International Seed Testing Association
        •  OSTL: Official Seed Testing Laboratory
        •  OECD: Organisation for Economic Cooperation 
           and Development
        •  OSTL: Official Seed Testing Laboratory
        •  PIA: Plant Improvement Act
        •  UPOV: International Union for the Protection of 
           New Varieties of Plants
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       International Seed Testing Association (ISTA)
      Mission:  
      to develop, adopt and publish standard procedures for the sampling and 
      testing of seed, and to promote uniform application of these procedures for 
      evaluation of seed moving in international trade.
      Membership:  
      •  218 Member Laboratories, 41 Personal Members and 62 Associate 
         Members in 80 countries/distinct economies
      •  South Africa is a member since 1955
      Annual contribution: CHF 7 487 (Swiss Frank) 
      2015 contribution: R 96 348
      South Africa has one Member Laboratory (OSTL) and one Personal Member 
      (Registrar of PIA) - only Laboratory Member and Personal Member may vote
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                                  ISTA (2)
       Benefits of membership:
       • Provides basis for ensuring the trade of quality seed by developing 
         standard seed testing methods
       • Provides a platform for research and cooperation between seed scientists 
         worldwide
       • Promotes research and provides the opportunity for publishing the 
         technological data
       • Guarantees worldwide harmonised, uniform seed testing through the 
         Accreditation, Proficiency Test and Auditing Programmes
       • Provides services and professional development programmes for 
         furthering the education and experience of seed analysts around the world
       Website: www.seedtest.org
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              ISTA: benefits for South Africa
      ISTA membership allows South Africa to issue Orange International 
       Certificates (OICs) for locally produced seed to be exported - some 
       countries only accept imported seed with OIC
      PIA requires compulsory registration of seed testing laboratories
      OSTL as ISTA accredited laboratory performs laboratory inspections for 
       registration on behalf of Registrar PIA, using ISTA standards
      ISTA Quality Management Standards is applied for registration of test 
       laboratories
      OSTL provides practical training for seed analysts 
      ISTA standardised seed testing methods is used for germination and purity 
       by all seed testing laboratories
      Laboratory Member or Personal Member attending the ISTA Annual 
       Meeting may vote on seed testing rule changes
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                   OECD Seed Schemes
      Objective is to provide an international framework for certification of 
       agricultural seed moving in international trade, promoting the use of 
       agricultural seed of a consistently high quality
      Participation in the Seed Schemes authorise use of labels and certificates 
       for seed produced and processed for international trade according to the 
       agreed principles
      Currently 58 participating countries
      South Africa is participating since 1961
      Annual contribution: based on GDP of country
         2015: Euro 4 786 (± R 65 042)
      Website: www.oecd.org/tad/seeds
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