b'INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTThe World of Seed After COVID-19OVER THE RECENTperiod of change caused byto make money. The supply of Moneybags may be COVID-19, we can only just imagine what a futurehard to come by, but all tomato seeds look the same, world of seed would be like. This crisis has created aso our not so reputable seed seller just substitutes it greater interest in seed and people wanting to securefor a cheaper variety, yet still calls it Moneybags. The supply of the items that are made from it. However, weseed that they replaced Moneybags with was cheap may see a change in the demand in the requirement ofand old, so the germination was low. Who is going to each country for the importation of seed.find out this secret? The grower will, when he harvests As world debt increases, countries may try tothe plant, if the grower has grown the Moneybags be more self-sufficient in feeding their populations,variety before and notices that the plants dont look to stimulate their own economies. Could this stimu- the same or maybe the seed doesnt even germinate. ANTHONY LEDDINlate a new green revolution in agricultural research?By that stage if they complain, the seller has closed up Inspired afterUnfortunately, this seems unlikely. Most governmentsshop, making their money from the business and have reading Thewill be looking to decrease spending and it is usuallymoved onto their next money making scheme.Coming Famine,agricultural research that is of lower priority comparedSo how can we police the seed market so that this this Australianto things such as health and security. problem doesnt occur? At a smaller scale we need to plant breeder setSo, what sort of environment are we likely to see intry and certify seed sellers so that the consumer can out to make athe seed world?be confident that the product that they are receiving is difference. PlantMost governments will leave it to free markets tothe real thing. This is where national seed associations Breeders Withoutcome up with the solution. We know that overall, therecan help. Seed sellers pay a fee to become a member Borders encourageswill be a greater demand for seed. A good exampleand some of this fee is used to certify the seed sell-plant breeders andof this is in the backyard vegetable seed sector. Seeders to make sure they are doing the right thing. There students to volunteercompanies could not keep up with the demand forneeds to be then a marketing campaign to consum-their time for inter- seed once COVID-19 hit, and it is looking like it willers telling them the risks of buying cheap seed from national breedingbe the same this spring in Australia. There are a lot ofuncertified seed sellers. It is interesting to know that projects. people out of work in the Western world and jobs thatin most seed industries the cost of the seed is only a were once common in our society will take a long timesmall component of the cost of growing and getting to come back to being pre-COVID-19. These peoplethe final product to the consumer. It is put under higher will be looking for a way to make an income and seed isscrutiny by the buyer as it is one of the first things they lucrative option for them. We all know that to be a goodmust purchase when growing the plant.seeds person, it must be a passion that drives you: it isThe next step the seed industry can do is to use not a skill that can easily be learned. It will lead to a lessmolecular technologies to determine that the variety discernable marketplace where there will be many sell- claimed to be sold is the real thing. It is vital over the ers for a product of interest with a variation in price.next few years that a cheap, readily accessible and We are told that competition in the marketplace isreliable genetic test be made available to seed industry good for the consumer, but I would suggest that thisfor both self and cross-pollinating species in all crops of is not always the case. Lets take a fictional exampleinterest.of a new variety of tomato that has grown popular inWith the greater interest from consumers in food the marketplace called Moneybags. There is a strongand seed COVID-19 has presented the seed industry an demand for the seed, so this increases the number ofopportunity to move into a new age. Lets learn from sellers that want to supply it. Some of these sellers areour mistakes in the past and create an environment experienced seed people and supply the real thingthat is sustainable for both the producer and con-in a quality product at a reasonable price. Other sellerssumer. SWare what we call fly by nighters meaning that they have little experience with seed but see an opportunity 16/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2020'