← Critical Product/Equipment/Process: Agri, Food & Bio-based (all topics)
Certified vs farm-saved seed
What it is
The split between seed bought fresh each season through the formal channel - certified, labelled and quality-tested - and grain retained from the previous harvest and re-sown
The seed replacement rate measures how much of the area uses fresh certified seed. It is high in hybrids and cotton, and low in self-pollinated crops such as wheat, paddy and pulses where saved seed performs acceptably
Impact on industries
- The replacement rate is the entire addressable market - every point of shift from saved to certified seed converts subsistence grain into a priced input
- Certified seed delivers measurable yield gain through genetic purity and germination, so the case is agronomic rather than merely commercial
- Farm-saved seed is free at the point of use, so adoption depends on farm cash flow and demonstrated yield benefit rather than on product quality alone
- Cheap public varieties from state channels compete directly with certified private seed in exactly the crops where replacement rates are lowest