-Radhakrishna Bhandari
Seed value chain involves all the principle & practices involved in maintenance & creation of reasonable price to the farmers seed produced. The steps in seed harvesting to post harvest determines the value of seed produced & same will be used to determine the seed value chain. The major steps in seed value chain includes principles & practices from seed harvesting-seed drying-seed cleaning-seed processing-seed packaging -seed treatment-seed marketing or seed storage.
Seed processing refers to all the activities that is necessary to prepare the seed for marketing. The aspect of seed value chain is related to the same topics of seed value added by seed processing process. So the importance of seed processing to seed value chain is very much significant. Its aim is to prepare seed lot to meet seed standard for certification. Seed processing includes
- Seed drying
- Seed cleaning & upgrading
- Seed treatment
- Seed packaging & handling
Advantage of seed processing:
- Seed processing improves the seed quality by removing unwanted offtype, diseased, weeds seeds & maintains purity of seeds.
- It creates homogeneity in the seed lot
- The process of doing seed processing maintains uniformity in planting, germination, stand & establishment & maturity
- It prevents seeds from spread of weeds, diseases & insect damage to next grown plant from that seed
- It improves in value addition & marketing of seeds
- The process of Drying prevents seed from insect & pathogen damage
- The process of seed processing increases the seed longevity & seed storability.
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