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 Main subject - mar/apr 2006
continuation: Horticultural Seeds: well nourished performance
Nature of the products
Considered as a traditional company in the market of conventional products, obtaining absolute leadership in some species as coriander, radish, water melon and lettuce, Feltrin Sementes has also a small participation in the segment of hybrid seeds, however it distinguishes for its pumpkin varieties, summer squash, tomato, and guinea pepper, which are significantly contributing to horticulture development. The company poses a strategy of introducing in the market from 15 to 20 new varieties a year.
ISLA markets several hybrid seeds of vegetables and flowers which are produced by partner companies. Conventional seeds represent the largest share of the company's sales. In those seeds of open pollinated crops, the company uses its breeding program. "We emphasize that, when such process is done, some of those varieties reach a standard which is comparable to that of hybrid seeds", ponders Diana Werner. ISLA markets 29 varieties of organic seeds, part of them being produced by the company itself and part by partners. In average, 10 new varieties are launched per year.
Ellen Tomato
Production and Improvement
With regards to production, 74% of ISLA sales in 2005 were accounted for seeds produced by the company itself, and 26% were imported seeds. National market share when compared to imported one on the company's billing increased 40% in the past 8 years. The number of varieties ISLA is able to produce has also increased. In 1985, the company produced 25 varieties. Today, from the 389 varieties in its folder, it is able to produce 228 of them in Brazil.
Besides having high quality seed, suitable technical support to the cooperating farmers, storage under ideal conditions, ISLA performs different types of coating: pelletization, semi-pelletization, and pellicle, as well as size and physiological quality standardization.
By offering their customers modern options in vegetables seeds, Agristar works through a partnership system with the most advanced horticulture seed companies in the world and it has a production contract with the main producing countries: South Africa, United States, Chile, among others. The seeds produced in Brazil are not far from such quality standard. Agristar has an agreement with researchers and research institutions, besides keeping experimental stations where they test the new varieties to be commercialized by the company. Agristar do Brasil is each day more concerned with the quality of the products it markets. One of the actions taken was the accreditation of the Seed Analysis Laboratory and anothers are Priming and Pelletization techniques.
Feltrin Sementes, differently, has a technical department in charge of coordinating a seed production program. So the company controls since the development of basic seeds and the contract of farmers who produces the seeds. Such cultivations receive the technical support of the company, and the seeds obtained are addressed to conditioning, standardization and analysis. "Our laboratory develops over 3,800 analyzes a year, to obtain a good evaluation of the seeds to be commercialized", says Luiz Eduardo Rodrigues. According to him, the new varieties are developed along with large international groups who have their own genetical research facilities. In this case, it is up to Feltrin to obtain the detailed knowledge of the needs of the different customers or farmers in the market niches characterized in Brazil, from which the technical specifications of the products to be launched are defined, so that they can promote the maximum satisfaction of the target public. "International companies develop their work on plant breeding aiming at obtaining a new product with the technical specifications previously defined", complements Rodrigues.
In many species or varieties, Feltrin develops specific works, such as osmotic conditioning, coating, and pelletization, aiming at sowing feasibility or viability under special conditions.
Distribution
Agristar products are hermetically packed and sold over the whole national territory through an exclusive distribution net and they can be found in more than 10 thousand sales points, attending since the larger producers until the end consumer.
In terms of seed distribution, ISLA has both in agricultural products stores and supermarkets, 22 thousand clients all over Brazil, covering all areas in all states. In order to have the assistance more agile while looking for increasing even more its penetration, ISLA has both agents and distributors who cover several areas of the country. Other alternatives are the phone sales, with toll free calls, and the Internet.
For assisting the customers of the company, Feltrin has 10 sales managers who coordinate 87 distributors evaluating market needs, customers' satisfaction levels, and products delivery and availability, offered in several kinds of packaging, thus allowing the fulfillment of different needs.
Packaging
Horticultural seeds are in general of high value, where some even may cost one dollar per unity. This value comes from the genetic and physiological quality, and mechanisms to enhance seed performance, as is the case of priming and coating. Thus, the seed companies, in order to maintain for long period of time the physiological quality, they increase the seed storage potential for three or more years, by means of reducing its moisture content below 7%. With this moisture seeds can be hermetically packed.
The seed companies, in general use the following types of packages:
* Envelopes:
> Pak - addressed to the producer who has home kitchen-garden;
> Guarantee Seal - also for home kitchen-gardens, but with a larger quantity than the Pak envelope; Professional - has from 5 to 12 grams and addresses to producers who work on larger areas;
> Prati Pak - aluminium, hermetic envelopes with a simple presentation, which has a 50% reduction in price. The content varies around 6 grams, and the product is available in boxes with 50 envelopes each; Prati Pak Mini - identical to the previous one, but in boxes with 25 envelopes;
> Flowers - flowers are packed in a special envelope, whose seed quantity changes among the cultivars.
* Cans: 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 grams.
* Boxes: 500 grams, 1 kilo and 2 kilos.
* Plastic bags: 500 grams and 5 kilos.
* Raffia bags: 25 kilos.
* Pails: 5 and 10 kilos.
* Particular packages: envelopes for unity sales - 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 seeds; envelopes for unity sales with 1, 3, 5 and 10 grams; cans with 5 thousand pelletized lettuce seeds; cans with 50 thousand semi-pelletized carrot seeds; box with gladiolus bulbs with 5 unities and bag with 25 unities.
The result of the production system of three large horticulture seed companies in Brazil shows the advanced technological stage and the great potential such segment has, whose growth will be crucial for enlarging commercial boundaries and reducing hunger.
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