Seed Marketing

AGRI 201 | POST-HARVEST HANDLING AND SEED TECHNOLOGY
SEED
MARKETING
Presented by: Lei Garielle U. Berjamin (BSA-2B)
What is Seed Marketing?
one of the most vital components of seed technology
In a broader sense, it comprises In a narrow sense, it refers to the actual

activities such as production, acquisition and selling of packed seeds,
processing, storage, quality intermediate storage, delivery of seeds,
control, and marketing of seeds. and sales promotional activities.
Aspects of seed marketing
Demand Forecast
Market Structure
Seed Storage Infrastructure
Sales Promotional Activities
Post-sales Service
Economics of Seed Production and Seed Pricing

Factors Affecting
Seed Marketing
Clear-cut policy
A clear cut policy regarding duties and responsibilities of the
official, semi-officials, and private economic sectors is
necessary for the development of seed marketing on sound
basis.
Availability of well identified and adapted varieties

A seed programme would not have any impact unless superior
varieties are regularly supplied for the seed programme.
Current official information on new varieties that have been
recommended for crop production helps in accelerating the
programme.
Adequate production, storage and testing facilities
These are necessary for producing and maintaining seed
qualities and quantities in accordance with the established
standards for the development of sound marketing.
Official programme
State government has to take the initiative and promote the
supply arrangement of new varieties or hybrids are when first
time introduced among the small scale farmers.
The important role of the government is to provide market
information, to set targets and to regulate and control agencies
and enter prices dealing with seeds.
Demand forecast
Real assessment and targets of seed demand are very essential.
Excess quantity of seed may result in large carry over stocks
and losses in storage while short supply would deprive the seed
dealers of profits they could have made.
Market intelligence
A market intelligence systems should be so developed to
provide reliable information regarding the needs of farmers,
location of production areas and size of market demands as well
as marketing cost to keep official and private institution up to
date on production and supply patterns.
Transport and storage arrangement
Adequate transport arrangement for timely supply of seeds and
their proper storage in end use areas / dealers or storage buffer
godowns are also important in order to maintain seed
germination and viability for a long period.
Nature of product
Seeds are perishable commodity and easily get damaged if
handling is not proper at any stage of marketing so proper
handling is required.
Quality control programme
Legally enforced effective quality control procedure should be
strictly followed to ensure uniform quality levels as per the
prescribed standard which may help in reducng the unhealthy
competition with bonafide seed companies.
Publicity
A high level publicity on value, availability and returns from
certified seed of the recommended varieties is important tool for
increasing seed sales.
Financial rewards
A well-defined policy of financial rewards to those dealers who
make outstanding records as salesmen is of considerable
importance and goes a long way in development of seed
marketing.
Seed Pricing
Policy
The most effective and delicate management tool
for regulating the flow of seeds in the market.
Seed
Cost of foundation of seed
Cost of specialized planting
Production Roguing costs
Costs Cost of other special operations

(Detasseling etc)
Cost of additional supervision required in
In raising a raising a seed crop
seed crop:
Seed certification fee
Other expenses not covered above e.g.
construction of separate threshing floors,
extra cleaning of equipments etc.
Seed
Separate harvesting of lodged or rejected portions of field
and disposing the produce as commercial.
Losses incurred due to drying to 10-12% moisture content
Production
as compared to 12-14% for a commercial crop
Sorting and rejection of undesirable ears of maize, ear

heads of pearlmillet or sorghum, root or shoot of
Costs vegetables etc
Separate handling in order to maintain lot identity
At the time of Additional transportation costs
seed havesting, Losses in seed processing

drying, and Loss, that is, difference in sale price of underside,
processing: shriveled and rejected seed (roughly, 10-20% of the seed
supplied) as compared to upgraded produce
Seed processing and testing charges

Seed
Storage and transport expenses
Interest on capital investment
Production Distribution and sales promotion costs
Costs
Seed
marketing
costs:
Factors (components) affecting
the final marketing price
Input costs
a. Price paid to seed producers for raw seed or fully processed seed
depending
b. Storage and transportation costs f. Sales promotion
c. Distribution costs g. Risks costs
d. Wholesale margin (if applicable) h. Profit (if applicable)
e. Retail margin (Dealer's commission)
Supply and Demand
Prices of other farm products and time trend

SEED
PROCESSING
What is Seed Processing?
necessary in order to dry the seeds to safe moisture level,
remove or reduce the various undesirable material, weed seeds
other crop seeds, deteriorated or damaged seeds, uniform size
grading and seed treatment to upgrade the overall seed quality
In its common usage in India, it refers to all the steps necessary for preparation of
harvested seed for marketing, handling, drying, shelling, preconditioning, cleaning,
size grading, treating and packaging etc.
Factors that should be considered in
planning and designing a seed processing plant
Kinds of crop seeds to be handled, kinds of contaminating
crop and weed seeds usually present in the seed lots
Size of operation
Whether drying facilities should be required
Selection of suitable equipment
Location of plant
Source of power for running machinery
System of seed delivery to processing plant
Availability of labour
Analysis of Operation
a. Processing sequence
After identifying the machines needed for processing, the next
step is to determine proper processing sequence.
The seed separators, elevators, conveyors and storage bins
should be so arranged that seeds flow continuously from
beginning to end.
b. Matching capacity
Equipment size of capacity must be carefully planned to prevent
bottlenecks.
When the overall operating capacity needs to be determined, all
machines must be able to handle that capacity with some
reserve capacity for problem lots.
Either large models or more than one machine installed in
parallel flow must be used to maintain uninterrupted flow.
c. Conveying (Transport system)

The conveying system must be able to handle the capacity
needed in particular spot and it must be carefully adapted to the
seed handled.
Seed Drying
In order to maintain seed viability and vigour drying of seed
lots i.e. lowering down the seed moisture content to safe
moisture limits is very important, otherwise viability and
vigour deteriorates fast due to mold growth, heating, and
increased micro-organism activity.
Methods of
seed drying: Involves harvesting of crops when they
are fully dried in the field, leaving the
harvested produce in field for a couple
1. SUN of days to sun dry and later spreading
DRYING the threshed and winnowed produce in
thin layers on threshing floors to sun
dry.
2. FORCED
AIR Advantage: Requires no additional expenditure
DRYING Disadvantages: Delayed harvests, risks of
weather damage, and increased likelihood of
mechanical mixtures
Methods of
seed drying: Precautions:
1. SUN Do not spread the produce on

DRYING wet, dirty and kuccha threshing
floors.
2. FORCED Only one crop variety and
produce from one plot should be
AIR handled on threshing floor, in
DRYING order to maintain lot identity and
to avoid mechanical admixtures.
Methods of
seed drying: Air (natural or heated) is
forced into the seeds.
1. SUN
DRYING
The air passing through damp seeds picks
2. FORCED up water.
The evaporation cools the air and the seed.
AIR The heat necessary for evaporating the
DRYING water comes from the temperature of the
air.
Methods of
seed drying: Main Drying Methods:
1. SUN Natural air drying

DRYING Drying with supplemental heat [Heat
is provided to raise the temperature
2. FORCED about 10 to 20°C for reducing relative
humidity so that drying can take
AIR place]
DRYING Heated air drying [Drying air is
heated considerably, as much as
110°F]
Cleaning of Seeds
The separation of undesirable material viz., inert matter,
weed seeds, other crop seeds, light and chaffy seeds,
off-size, damaged or deteriorated seed from desirable
material.
Cleaning of seeds
Done on the basis of differences in physical
properties of desirable seed and undesirable matter.
The main physical differences found in seeds are: seed size, length,
width, thickness, density, shape, surface texture, colour, affinity for
liquids and seed conductivity.
Methods of cleaning seeds
1. Pre-conditioning and pre-cleaning
Pre-conditioning - operations such as shelling etc. that prepare seed lots
for basic seed cleaning
Pre-cleaning - removal of particles, larger in size than desirable crop
seed from seed lots
2. Basic seed cleaning

actual cleaning and grading of seeds
use an air screen machine / air screen cleaner (basic equipment in seed
processing plant
3. Upgrading the quality of cleaned seed (operations)
various processing operations conducted after the basic
cleaning to further improve seed quality
depends upon the type of contaminants and crop
Types:
1. Sizing and grading (Dimensional sizing)
2. Gravity or weight separations
3. Air separations
4. Surface texture separation
5. Electronic separation
6. Other separations
Seed Packaging,
Handling, and
Storage
Packaging
Last operation in which seeds are handled in bulk flow.
Consists of the following operations:
Filling of seed bags to an exact weight.
Placing leaflets in the seed bags mentioning improved cultivation practices.
Attaching labels, certification tags on the seed bags and sewing of the
bags.
Storage/shipment of seed bags.
Equipments used for packaging of seeds
The bagger and weigher

Small machines which when properly mounted beneath a
bin will fill and weigh a bag accurately in a single operation
May be manual, semi-automatic or automatic
Bag sewing machine
Precision, high speed machines that sew (seal) the top of a
filled open-mouth bag
Attaching Labels
At the time of placing seed into bags, a label must be placed on
each bag to maintain positive identity of the seed.
Maximum Lot Size
Each seed lot are assigned with a seed lot no. following the
manner specified by Seed Certification standards.

Seed Marketing

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AGRI 201 | POST-HARVEST HANDLING AND SEED TECHNOLOGY

In a broader sense, it comprises In a narrow sense, it refers to the actual

Seed Storage Infrastructure

Sales Promotional Activities

Economics of Seed Production and Seed Pricing

Availability of well identified and adapted varieties

Production Roguing costs

Costs Cost of other special operations

Losses incurred due to drying to 10-12% moisture content

Sorting and rejection of undesirable ears of maize, ear

Separate handling in order to maintain lot identity

At the time of Additional transportation costs

seed havesting, Losses in seed processing

Seed processing and testing charges

Production Distribution and sales promotion costs

Supply and Demand

Prices of other farm products and time trend

c. Conveying (Transport system)

1. SUN Do not spread the produce on

1. SUN Natural air drying

2. Basic seed cleaning

The bagger and weigher

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