Vegetable Seed Marketing—An Overview of Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

ABSTRACTOperational inefficiencies in a vegetable seed marketing system can lead to reduced marketing margins and profitability. The vegetable seed marketing system in Bangladesh was examined with particular reference to marketing costs and marketing margins of the marketing channel members. The highest quantity of vegetable seed (21%) was distributed through the channel seed company → wholesaler → retailer → mobile seed vendor → seed user. Marketing costs for the various value chain actors were as follows: importers, Bangladeshi taka (BDT) 220; seed companies, BDT 246; seed-producing farmers, BDT 131; wholesalers, BDT 64; retailers, BDT 47; and mobile seed vendors, BDT 20·kg−1; the exchange rate in 2014 when the data was collected was US$1 = approximately 78 BDT. The marketing margin and return on investment of the importer, seed company, and seed-producing farmer were higher than for the wholesaler, retailer, and mobile seed vendor. Lack of capital for seed import, high research and development costs for new varieties, inadequate storage facilities, inadequate supply of good quality seed in the peak season, and high purchase price of seed were problems in vegetable seed production, processing, and marketing systems. Collaboration among stakeholders in the vegetable seed system might help address the problems and make the vegetable seed sector more efficient.