Seminis Launches Seed Farm

Global fruit and vegetable seeds company Seminis inaugurated a seed plant today. Seminis Vegetable Seeds (India) Ltd., a 100 per cent subsidiary of California-based Seminis, entered India in 1999.

Oscar Velasco, senior vice-president of Seminis Asia, inaugurated the 500 MT operations plant today at Chitegaon, Aurangabad.

The plant would serve both Indian and south-east Asian markets to provide prompt supply of quality seeds, said Mangesh Kadgaonkar, general manager of Indian operations.Seminis products were sold under Royal Sluis, Hungnong and Peto brands. The company has identified some major products under Royal Sluis and Peto to undergo immediate re-branding as Seminis this kharif.

The Hungnong brand will change to Seminis later.

Population was the major determinant of the potential size of a seed market and India was naturally one of the largest potential seed markets in the world. Other major seed markets included US (population 270 million), EU (350 million), China (1,200 million) and South America (250 million). While the world seed trade was about US$ 25 billion, Indian aeed sales were about US$ 1billion.

India was one of the largest unified national markets in the world with skills and technology at all levels from research to seed production. There were around 150 organised seed companies in India. The seed market was divided between public and private sector companies. The private seed sector focussed on improved crop varieties, particularly in hybrid vegetable seeds.

Seminis would offer more than 4,000 varieties representing 60 species. Seminis has 50 research and product development stations in 17 countries and owned or has pending more than 160 patents. It had more than 400 varieties under plant variety protection laws.