The maize seed industries of Brazil and Mexico: past performance, current issues and future prospects

Abstract

This paper describes results of a study of the main factors affecting the development of the maize seed industries in Brazil and Mexico (and, by extension, other developing countries). The authors develop a framework that researchers and policy makers can use to evaluate seed industry performance in developing countries. This framework is used to analyze the seed industries of Brazil and Mexico, where very different sets of circumstances influence seed industry development, efficiency, and structure. The analysis gives special attention to the different maize breeding strategies pursued by the public and private sectors, measures of industry competitiveness and efficiency, and the trade-offs involved in developing and producing different kinds of maize seed, particularly improved open-pollinated maize varieties versus different types of hybrids. The authors identify key seed industry issues for researchers, administrators of national maize programs, and agricultural policy makers in developing countries, especially issues related to the appropriate roles for public and private organizations in maize seed industries in the developing world.