Certified seed and commercial seed
Use and certified seed
Certified seed is either directly used for production of table potatoes or is used for the renewal of farmers seed.
SEED USE AND QUALITY STANDARDS
Seed price and seed market
Production costs of seed potatoes are higher than of table potatoes. A price ratio of 2-2.5 for seed and table potatoes is quite common.
Reasons for high seed prices are:
- the high costs of pre-basic and basic seed
- high seed rate for seed production
- an early harvest of the crop in order to escape infections, resulting in low yield
- an early harvest to avoid tubers growing too large, with as result low yield
- the intensive integrated quality management system needed
Markets for high price seed are limited in areas where farmers have alternatives and potato prices are relatively low.
Production costs of potatoes are high and seed represents a high % of the crop input budget.
The farmer will always look for alternatives and try to select the seed that gives the best net return and which can be obtained easily.
The production cost of seed produced in special seed programmes is high if compared to the seed from non-formal or own sources.
The motivation of farmers to use seed from this special seed programmes depends on the value, the quality and the reliability ("safe seed source") of the seed from this source.
The producer of the seed needs to receive the high price in order to survive, whereas for the user the seed needs to have a sufficient value, quality and reliability in order to pay the high price.
For the user of the seed the value is not only determined by the higher yield he obtains during the first season he uses the quality seed, but more so by the higher yield he obtains in the next generations.
Seed market
It is crucial to know the potential of seed markets and to adjust the total amount of seed produced to the existing (high price) seed market. A surplus of seed will cause low selling prices and a financial return below the seed production costs.
Organization and management of seed production
For good planning, organization and management of a seed programme it is necessary to first analyze the situation.
For good planning, organization and management of a seed programme it is necessary to first analyze the situation and to develop a plan.
ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SEED PRODUCTION