Inor Ag. Assmann
64
The State of Paraná offered smaller
amounts of soybean and wheat seed in the
past crop year. The production of these two
species was jeopardized by adverse weath-
er conditions during certain periods and,
in the case of wheat, by the perspective
of declining demand”, explained agrono-
mist Clenio Debastiani, executive director
of the Paraná State Association of Seed and
Seedling Producers (Apasem). The entity
represents 67 seed producers, including
cooperatives, private companies and farm-
ers. “The seed sector is the connecting link
between research and farmers. It has for a
long time been performing an important
role in Brazilian agribusiness”, he notes.
In the 2015/16 growing season, the
production of soybean seed reached the
amount of 6,511,449 sacks, down 11.7%
from the volume of the previous year. The
farmers who are members of the Apasem
account for upwards of 75% of all soybean
seed produced in the State. The produc-
tion of wheat seed amounted to 3,467,464
40-kilogram sacks in the 2015/16 growing
season, down 16.9% from the amount pro-
duced in the previous period. The seeds are
directly sold to the farmers that produce
these crops, to seed traders and distributors.
The seed producers themselves trade their
seeds, but there are some farmers who out-
source their sales (it is the case of some ob-
Productionofsoybean
andwheatseed
hasgonedownover
thepastgrowing
seasons intheState
of
Paraná
, butthe
seedproducersmanaged
tomakemoreprofits
Destinedfor
other
regions
Superior quality
Biotechnology and other technologies will be increasingly present within the rural
setting, says Clenio Debastiani. “The seed will be the leading vehicle of these
technologies “, he notes. All Apasem members will constantly be advised and trained for
the production of quality seed, attesting to the superior quality of the crops. Still, along
with the chance to adjust to the Cultivar Protection Law, they try to increase the use of
the seeds, making the sector and the investments viable. “For sure, the seed producing
sector has the capacity to spread and make it possible for the farmers to access the
most modern technologies in every different region”, he concludes.
tainers that verticalize production and sell
the seed under their own trade name).
Wheat seed sales totaled 91% of the
amount supplied by the seed producers.
Soybean seed sales had not yet come to
an end by September 2016. “This year, to-
tal seed sales tend to increase compared
to 2015, when 90% was sold”, argues De-
bastiani. The input produced in Paraná is
also sold in Mato Grosso do Sul and São
Paulo. The expiring date for the seeds to
germinate varies according to every differ-
ent species: for soybean it is six months,
while for wheat seed it is eight months,
provided the best warehousing practices
are complied with. There is no legal objec-
tion towards renewing the validity of the
germination tests and sow the seed in the
next growing season, if it complies with
the minimum standard set forth by legis-
lation. “This is hardly ever happens with
soybean and wheat, but is common with
maize”, the agronomist clarifies.
In 2016, according to Debastiani, the
profitability of the seed producers took ad-
vantage of the drop in production. None-
theless, over the past years, the perfor-
mance has not reached the desired level
due to seed surpluses, brought about
by competition from the states of Rio
Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, and
also because of an increased use of pirat-
ed seed or seed produced by the farmers
themselves. On the other hand, by virtue
of this market loss, the legal system is in-
creasingly investing in high quality seed,
with guaranteed genetic and physiological
traits, contrary to pirated seed.
anuáriobrasileiroDo
ARROZ2016
•brazilian
RICE
yearbook
997718081088145
ISSN1808-1088
997718087493144
ISSN1808-7493
AnuárioBrAsileirodA
sojA
2015
•Brazilian
soyBeAn
yeArBook
997718082378141
ISSN1808-2378
AnuárioBrasileiroda Algodão 2016•BrazilianCotton Yearbook
997718082378141
ISSN1808-2378
AnuárioBrasileirodo
AnuárioBrasileirodoMilho 2016•BrazilianCornYearbook
2016
Brazilian
Corn
Yearbook
99772446-8630158
99772446-8649156
99772446-8657153
ISSN2446-8649
SeedSBrazilianYearBook
anuárioBraSileiro de
2016
