Vision and Missions of the Turkey’s Seed Sector

1. Vision and Missions of the Turkey’s Seed Sector Kazım Abak 2nd InternationalWorkshop on Seed Business Antalya 2-3 December 2013

2. Agriculture It is a startegic and indispensible sector in both developed and developing countries • Primary source of food • Primary source of fibre • Raw material source for energy (bio-fuel) • Locomotive of economical development • Strategically important for food and energy security • Sociologically crucial

3. New trends in global agricultural sector • Developments in production technologies • Increase in input use and input costs • Very high increase in food prices • Increase in international crop trade • Rise in the consumer’s power of paying • Increase in quality expectations • Higher demand to bio-energy crops

4. New modern production technologies More than 20% of the Turkish vegetable production is through under cover cultivation !

5. New trends in global agricultural sector • Developments in production technologies • Increase in input use and input costs • Very high increase in food prices • Increase in international crop trade • Rise in the consumer’s power of paying • Increase in quality expectations • Higher demand to bio-energy crops

6. Increase in input use and imput Grafted seedling production for vegetable growing

7. New trends in global agricultural sector • Developments in production technologies • Increase in input use and input costs • Very high increase in food prices • Increase in international crop trade • Rise in the consumer’s power of paying • Increase in quality expectations • Higher demand to bio-energy crops

8. Price increases in food and non-food products

9. New trends in global agricultural sector • Developments in production technologies • Increase in input use and input costs • Very high increase in food prices • Increase in international crop trade • Rise in the consumer’s power of paying • Increase in quality expectations • Higher demand to bio-energy crops

10. Increase in demande of quality

11. New trends in global agricultural sector • Developments in production technologies • Increase in input use and input costs • Very high increase in food prices • Increase in international crop trade • Rise in the consumer’s power of paying • Increase in quality expectations • Higher demand to bio-energy crops

12. Higher demand to bio-energy crops

13. Seeds • The basis of agriculture • The most ancient input in agriculture • The most important input in agriculture • A properly produced high quality seed, per se, can provide 50% yield increase • It is impossible to practice modern agriculture to obtain high yield and good quality crop without using high quality seeds

14. New trends in seed business • Rises in the production and use of certified seeds • Growth in international seed trade • Increase in the accessibilty to new cultivars by growers • Increase in the use of F1 hybrides (new crops) • Increase in the rate of variety shift (shortening the life) • Increase in demand to the varieties having special agronomical and technological traits • Increase in the use of transgenic varieties • Decrease in number of companies, but increase in their sizes

15. Global international seed trade

16. New trends in seed business • Rises in the production and use of certified seeds • Growth in international seed trade • Increase in the accessibilty to new cultivars by growers • Increase in demand to the varieties having special agronomical and technological traits • Increase in the rate of variety shift (shortening the life) • Increase in the use of F1 hybrides (new crops) • Increase in the use of transgenic varieties • Decrease in number of companies, but increase in their sizes

17. New trends in seed business • Rises in the production and use of certified seeds • Growth in international seed trade • Increase in the accessibilty to new cultivars by growers • Increase in demand to the varieties having special agronomical and technological traits • Increase in the rate of variety shift (shortening the life) • Increase in the use of F1 hybrides (new crops) • Increase in the use of transgenic varieties • Decrease in number of companies, but increase in their sizes

18. New trends in seed business • Rises in the production and use of certified seeds • Growth in international seed trade • Increase in the accessibilty to new cultivars by growers • Increase in the use of F1 hybrides (new crops) • Increase in the rate of variety shift (shortening the life) • Increase in demand to the varieties having special agronomical and technological traits • Increase in the use of transgenic varieties • Decrease in number of companies, but increase in their sizes

19. Status in transgenic varieties • Countries producing transgenic 28 (8+20) • Total population of this countries 4 billion (60%) • Number of growers 17.3 million • Annual planting area 170 million ha • Accumulative planted area 1.5 billion ha • Annual increase rate 6-10% • Annual production value 98.2 billion USD

20. New trends in seed business • Rises in the production and use of certified seeds • Growth in international seed trade • Increase in the accessibilty to new cultivars by growers • Increase in the use of F1 hybrides (new crops) • Increase in the rate of variety shift (shortening the life) • Increase in demand to the varieties having special agronomical and technological traits • Increase in the use of transgenic varieties • Decrease in number of companies, but increase in their sizes

21. Global structure of seed business (Howard 2009)

22. Shares of the companies in World seed trade

23. Expected events for near future • Growth in world economy • Globalization both for consumers and producers • Increase in certified seed use and seed market • Increase in international trade (imputs and products) • Increase in the use of hybrid cultivars • Increase in the use of transgenic cultivars • Increase in social and environmental responsibility • Change of climatic conditions (global warming)

24. Problems coming with global warming - Reduction in the amount of usable water/drought - Salinity - Arisal of new pests and disease - Changes in crop pattern

25. Importance of R&D in seed business • Seed industry is the sector in which R&D spending is the highist • For industry share of the R&D spending must be at least 2% • In EU R&D spending is up to 20% of the total turnover • In these countries percentage of R&D employees in total employees is 25% (12500/52000) • (ESA Scholte, 2013)

26. R&D in seed business • Breeding • Registration • Production • Certification • Market preparation • Marketing • Storage

27. Goals for future breeding programs • More resistance to pest and diseases • Tolerance to abiotic stress factors (low and high temperatures, salinity, druoght, high moisture, nutrient deficiency etc) • More tolerance to herbicides • Improvement of crop quality • Better nutritive values • Development of male sterility

28. Needs for R&D for seed business • Vision • Well formed breeders and assistant personel • Plant material • Money • Collobaration-organization

29. Research institutions • Universities • Public Research Instituts • National Private Research Organizations • Private Research Units • International Research Organizations

30. R&D in private sector • 30% of companies has research activity • 35% of them has only adaptation trials • 35% has also plant breeding programs • They develope new OP and hybrids and sell in domestic and foreign markets • More breeding programs on vegetables than field crops • More and more collobaration with TÜBİTAK and universities

31. In public research instituts • Public institutes spread across the country • Works are focused on plant breeding • Well researchers staff exists but not sufficient • Activities on vegetables are more dynamic than the field crops in recent years

32. In universities • Well formed qualified staff existance • In some of them very good ınfrastructure • Cooperation with private companies is insufficient • Assistant staff (engineer, laborant, technicien, research assistant) is insufficient • Very heavy lecture occupation, no enough time for R&D

33. R&D activities and financing responsibilities of public and private sectors in plant breeding Applied Research Line Preparation Variety Development Market Growth Variety Release Basic Research Private sector Public sector Before commercialization (PUBLIC SECTOR) Commercialization (PRIVATE SECTOR)

34. Three important things • Easy access to plant genetic resources • Utilization of biotechnology for more effective and fast plant breeding • Qualified breeder and assistant staff

35. Educational activities towards • Associate personnel (Associate degree) • Technical personnel (BS/BA) • Ms and Doctoral degrees • On-duty continuing education

36. Conclusion • In Turkey, the share allocated to R & D activities in total turnover is quite small for seed sector • Increase the effectiveness in the international arena without R&D investment is not possible • Number of company is very high, financial situation of small firms is not sufficient for R&D • Inter-institution and/or inter-company collaboration is imperative • Professionalsorganization (union) must establish its ownR & D center • This center can also be used for educational purposes

37. Thank you