b'as essential itemseffectively exempting them from lockdown restrictionsseed companies have been reporting a number ofWHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR BUSINESS HAVE BEEN supply-chain challenges. AFFECTED BY COVID-19?To better understand these challenges, APSAs Special Interest Group for Vegetables and Ornamentals joined withInternational seed shipmentsthe World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) to conduct a surveyDomestic seed among seed companies operating in the Asia-Pacific region. Theshipmentsonline survey sent to seed company managers recorded theirPurchase/delivery of inputs for seed farm or opinions on how the crisis has affected their business and identi- factoryfied emerging bottlenecks in the seed supply chain. Sixty-eightLabor for seed managers responded to the survey representing at least 48 seedproduction/processingcompanies. Access to finance(e.g. new loans)Seed Business Widely Affected 0 20 40 60 80 100Of the 62 respondents involved in the vegetable seed trade, 58% of respondents(93%) reported a negative effect on the demand for vegetable StrongModerateSmall No/unclearPositiveseed, of which 26% reported a strong negative effect (see thenegativenegativenegativeeffect effectgraph below). Fewer respondents were active in flowers andeffect effect effectfield crops, and about 75% of them reported a negative effect on seed demand with 38% reporting a strong negative effect onof export orders, finding freight, clearing customs, obtaining the demand for flower seed.export and import permits and distributing seeds in destina-tion countries. Respondents were asked to determine whether HOW HAS COVID-19 AFFECTED SEED a certain aspect has become a problem, is likely to become a DEMAND/SALES? problem (should the situation continue), or is not a problem.The graph shows that a wide range of problems have already occurred in many aspects of the seed trade with key bottle-Flowers/ornamentals necks including difficulties finding freight solutions (reported by 54% of respondents), reductions in new export orders (42% of Vegetables respondents), and difficulties distributing seed in the destination countries (42%). Many respondents also reported problems get-Field crops ting export and import permits, phytosanitary certificates, and customs clearance. Furthermore, the findings show that many companies not yet affected expect that these issues will become Other crops a problem as the crisis continues. 0 20 40 60 80 100% of respondents WHAT BOTTLENECKS HAVE OCCURRED IN THE INTERNATIONAL SEED TRADE?StrongModerateSmall No/unclearPositivenegativenegativenegativeeffect effect Volume of new export orderseffect effect effectPreparation of seed shipments for exportThe second graph shows that nearly all aspects of the seedAcquiring export permitsbusiness are negatively affected with more than 85% of respond- Acquiring import permitsents reporting negative effects on international and domesticPhytosanitary certificationseed shipments, difficulties in getting inputs, and difficulties get- Finding air/ocean/land freightting labor for seed production and processing. Reduced accessGetting customs clearance at port of entryto finance was also reported by 64% of the respondents. Yet,Storage at port of entryinternational seed shipments clearly appear as the most severelySeed distribution in destination countryaffected aspect of the seed industry with 52% of the respond- Other constraintsents reporting a strong negative effect.0 20 40 60 80 100Strong Effects on the International Seed Trade % of respondentsZooming in on the aspect of international trade, the thirdHas becomeIs likely toIs not a graph identifies bottlenecks that have occurred in internationala problem become aproblemseed shipments. We looked at aspects related to the volumeproblem18/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2020'