Digital Story of Seed

MAPPING THE
DIGITAL STORY
OF A SEED
From Trials to Inventory - Transforming
End-to-End Operations For Seed
Enterprises With Technology
Preface
We’re living through the biggest technology shift In recent years, the agri ecosystem has made a
of our lifetime. As population explosion, climate leap forward embracing new digital capabilities.
change and water scarcity threaten global food Ag companies around the world are adopting
security, promoting sustainable agriculture measures that become imperative to manage
necessitates innovation in research and and efficiently use scarce resources by leveraging
collaborations to ensure that comprehensive digital and AI-driven technology.
solutions are developed and adopted for food
security and improved nutrition.
Connected Platform-Software and Connected Farms- Connected

Combined Analytics & Insights Data from multiple sources
TRANSFORMATION
At CropIn, we believe technology has the power stories from our experience in the seed industry.
to make a positive impact on the life of every These stories demonstrate how technology is
stakeholder in the agri ecosystem. Imagine the being leveraged to optimize operations, make
transformative potential of technology in the data-driven decisions, deliver services seamlessly,
world where about 1 billion people (28% of the connect people in new ways, and unlock
total population) depend on farming as their innovative digital experiences. Together, we are
primary source of livelihood. building a digital future – and delivering a new
in this white paper, we have also included success generation of growth and opportunity for all.
Copyright © 2021 CropIn Technology. All rights reserved. 2

Contents
1. Introduction 4
A. Global Seed Ecosystem 5
B. Industry Operating Model 5
2. Market Trends 6
An outlook to the future
3. Business Challenges 11
Disruptors and Transformers
4. Key Enablers 14
Scoping Growth Opportunities
5. Seed Value Chain 17

Overview for Intervention
6. Ground Level Challenges 19
7. The CropIn Innovation 21
8. Success Stories 24
A. Savannah Seeds 25
B. Global Seed Producer Giant 26
C. PAGREXCO 29
D. East-west Seed 31
9. Engage More 32
Introduction
Global Population
Seeds are the basic building blocks of the agricultural process.
9.9 billion
Over the past several decades, the significance of seeds in the
agriculture industry has increased rapidly on account of 7.6 billion
advancements in technology and the subsequent
introduction of enhanced seed varieties
Timely availability of quality seeds in adequate quantities

determines the health and strength of an agricultural
2018 2050
economy. Quality seeds suitable for various agro-climatic
conditions in sufficient quantity and at affordable prices are
Total seeds market value
necessary to raise overall crop productivity. High-quality
seeds such as hybrid seeds offer better yield, significant US$ 68 billion
in 2020.
uniformity, enhanced color, and disease resistance to the
resulting plants
Projected
Grains represent the biggest portion of daily calorie intake in CAGR 7%
during 2020-2026
developing countries of the Middle East, Africa, Asia/Oceania,
and CIS, and therefore, the growing demand for grains, oils,
Value by 2026
and vegetables is going to be one of the most critical drivers
of the seed market. Currently, grain seeds represent the US$ 102 billion
largest seed type, accounting for nearly half of the total global
production Grain seeds -
account for nearly half of
the total global production
In 2019, North America was the largest geographical segment
for the seed market and accounted for around 35% of the
market share which is around a third of the global market.
Genetically modified seeds are expected to be the leading Largest Market:
segment in North America, which is contributing towards the
growth of this region
North America
The global food demand is likely to increase by 70% in 2050 35%
due to rapid population growth, urbanisation, and evolving market share
diets. Therefore the seeds market will primarily be driven by
the need to maximize agricultural productivity so as to meet
this growing demand
Fastest Growing Market:
The ultimate goal to achieve food security, improve nutrition
Asia-Pacific Seed Market
and deliver consistent quality, agtech, in the last few years, worth $22.91 Bl in 2020,
estimated growth at
has helped the scientists & agronomists produce seeds that 9.10% CAGR, to reach
have improved yield and quality of harvests. As a result, the $35.41 Bl by 2025
seed industry today is set to work with a ‘farmer-centric’

approach that is market-driven

A. Global Seed Ecosystem
Individual plant breeders or plant Biotech trait development compa-

breeding R&D based companies nies or trait license providers
Seed producers & Seed processors Seed marketing companies
Farmer cooperatives involved in Pure-play Plant breeding /R&D

plant breeding, seed production, driven seed companies with end
seed processing and marketing to end functions
Public sector institutions involved

Agri-Chemical majors with Seeds
in plant breeding and seed
division with end to end functions
production
Intermediaries & organizations Suppliers (such as seed treatment,

dealing with support functions processing machinery)
B. Seed Industry Operating Model
Seed Distribution Seed Production

& Marketing & Processing Seed/Plant Variety R&D
Development of plant varieties using
Front line demos to farmers and
Production monitoring conventional plant breeding complemented
other stakeholders
by Biotechnology tools/other methords
Marketing & channel management Quality assurance at all levels Product evaluation trials in multiple environments
& farmer conditions for varietal release

2. GLOBAL TRENDS
AN OUTLOOK TO FUTURE
2. Global Trends
Seed markets are evolving rapidly, let’s explore the key movers and shakers that will shape up the
industry in near future.
The global seeds market size reached a value of almost USD 68 billion in the year 2020 and is estimated
to account for a value of USD 63.0 billion in 2021. The seeds industry is further expected to grow at a
CAGR of 7% between 2021 and 2026 to reach a value of almost USD 102 billion by 2026.
Data driven decisions for

competitive advantage
In US$ Billion
80
75
Data is the most precious asset for any 70

organisation 55
60
Global shift to a more data driven real-time 47
50
decision making and business planning 37
40 32
Farmers are becoming digitally connected and
more aware at best practices 28
30
Marketing and sales spends are planned based on
20
data analytics and trend analysis
Evidence backed operational cost optimization 10

necessary to ensure long term profitability
0
Combination of data, customer feedback and 1996 2001 2007 2012 2018 2024E
experience is key to product introduction and Seed Industry Size in USD Bn
penetration strategy
Increasing Adoption of
Transgenic Seeds Conventional plant varieties (hybrid +OPV)
Traits + Plant varieties (GM+GE+etc)
Traits + Plants varieties (GM+GE+etc)%
80
Farmers across major agricultural countries such
as the United States, China, India and Brazil, are 70 68
increasingly adopting transgenic seeds for yield
benefits and high resistance traits 60 60
54 45
Companies are also focussed on developing 50
transgenic hybrids across crops by adopting 22
40 15 40
breeding technologies such as Assisted Breeding
and Computational Breeding 30
28
17
Hybridization also increased in Cotton, Corn and 20
23
Vegetables rapidly in the past two decades from 28 30
10 33
as low as 25% to 97% in different regions of the 20 32
9
world 0
0%
1996 2001 2007 2012 2018 2024E

In 2019, 92% of the area under cotton cultivation in
India was sown with transgenic seeds having high Source: INRA, ISAAA, ISF, NSAI estimates
insect tolerance

2. Global Trends
Asia-Pacific Is The Fastest 2%
Growing Market
31%
Asia-Pacific, the fastest growing geographical 33%

segment in the Global Seed Market, is dominated
by the two major agricultural countries, India and
China
The region is witnessing increased adoption of 9%

hybrids in key crops such as Rice, Maize and
Vegetables. For instance, the area sown under 25%
hybrid rice in India stood at 3.1 million hectares in
2018, which is 7% of the total rice area in the
country
Increasing technology adoption by seed

companies is a major driver for the growth North America
Also, increased area under cultivation of

vegetables on account of the changing dietary
South America EU
preferences of the population, as well as support
by the government, national and international
associations to increase agricultural production
are also fuelling the seed market in the region Asia - Pacific Africa
Asia-Pacific Seed Market - worth $22.91 billion in

2020, estimated growth at 9.10% CAGR, to reach Region-wise Seed Market, 2020
$35.41 billion by 2025
High
Medium
Low
Global Seed Market : Growth Rate by Region, 2020

2. Global Trends
Genetically Modified Crops

on the Rise
Genetically Modified crop adoption grew from 1.7

million ha in 1996 to 190 million ha in 2017-18 in 28
countries. The advent of GM traits in Plant varieties
has created a new product segment of GM trait
crop seeds of both plant varieties and hybrids
which grew to USD 33 bn in 2018-19.
The global genetically modified seeds market size

was valued at USD 20.07 billion in 2018 and is
projected to reach USD 30.24 billion by the end of
2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.3%.
Genetically modified crops have also created

bundled agri-inputs (Eg: HT GM trait introgression Conventional Seeds
in plant variety + use of Herbicide product).
Genetically Modified Seeds
Health analysis, growth and yield forecast of
different seed varieties across regions with
technology has helped easy identification of high
quality seeds for mass production
Global Commercial Seed market Share, By Type, 2017
Rise in the Global seed trade
The rise ($11.289B in 2017) is due to high demand for quality seed and consolidation of top seed
companies: Monsanto and Bayer, Dupont and Dow, Syngenta and ChemChina, Groupe Limagrain,
Land O’ Lakes
Increase in global seed trade-imports by 22% from USD 9 bn in 2011 to USD 11 bn in 2016-17 opened up
new opportunities for testing and sale of new plant varieties in geographies with similar agro-climatic
conditions
Rising end-to-end supply chain management technologies to easily ensure adherence to global export
certifications and compliance standards

2. Global Trends
Increase in Seed Replacement Rate (SRR)
Seed Replacement Rate is a measure of how

much of the total cropped area was sown with
certified seeds in comparison to farm saved seeds.
The SRRs have increased from almost <10% in the

1980s to more than 40% in cereal crops in the past
two decades in India and developing countries in
Asia and Africa.
Emergence of traceability tech for easy

authentication on use of certified quality seeds of
high genetic purity has led to an increase in SRR of
cereals, oilseeds and pulses thereby resulting in
significant improvement of crop productivity.
Diversified Scope and Demands
The need to increase agricultural production

owing to the rising population
The growth in the use of biofuels such as corn

biofuel
Increasing demand for maize and soybean as

fodder feed
Growing demand for grains, oils, and vegetables

seeds in developing countries of the Middle East,
Africa, Asia/Oceania, and CIS as they are biggest
portion of daily calorie intake.

3. BUSINESS CHALLENGES
DISRUPTORS AND TRANSFORMERS
3. Business Challenges
By 2019, four seed companies, Bayer, Corteva, ChemChina and

BASF had consolidated to dominate the commercial seed Consolidated- Market dominated
by 1-5 major players
market controlling 60% of the global proprietary seed sales.
Wave of big mergers and consolidation among Ag-chem
majors with Seed business has altered the competitive
landscape of the seed industry. The challenge is for small and
medium seed companies to navigate in such a skewed
competitive market environment.
Global Seed Market

Commercialization of fake hybrid seeds and counterfeit of
products. According to the International Seed Federation (ISF),
there has been an increase in illegal seed practices, including
counterfeit seeds, fake seeds, fraudulent labelling,
infringement of intellectual property, and regulatory offenses
driven by the fact that low-income farmers are not in a position
to purchase seeds in large quantities. This paves the way for the
sellers to break down the bags, repack them in smaller
volumes and sell them in loose form.
The seed & plant variety industry’s narrative was previously Fragmented- Highly competitive
market without dominant players
viewed from the lens of “genetic gains developed by
conventional plant breeding methods” but now this has
shifted to a complicated view driven by competing economic
Market Concentration
interests, especially after the advent of Genetically Modified
crops bundled with advancing technologies. The key
challenge is to technologically transform the seed industry
with conventional plant breeding at their core.
Protection provided by patent laws to Genetically Modified

seeds is making entry of new SME companies into the market
difficult.

3. Business Challenges
After registering initial exponential growth, the Genetically Modified trait technology market
stagnated since 2012-2016 between USD 32-33 bn due to emergence of resistance among
target pests such as PBW in India. New technologies such as Gene Editing are at its initial
phases which need to be integrated successfully into breeding programs.
Prolonged time & extensive research involved with Increase in R&D investments,
technology costs, labour costs, seed production and supply chain costs has put margin
pressures on conventional plant breeding based seed companies leading to the exit of
small and medium players from the market and high seed prices.
Seed and plant variety are unique as a product, hence the global multilateral treaties have
enabled creation of sui generis plant variety protection systems. Force fitting global
business models without alignment to local regulations and socio-economic conditions
is a huge challenge, which needs to be addressed on all fronts.
Commercialization of fake hybrid seeds and counterfeit of products. According to

the International Seed Federation (ISF), there has been an increase in illegal seed
practices, including counterfeit seeds, fake seeds, fraudulent labelling, infringement of
intellectual property, and regulatory offenses driven by the fact that low-income
farmers are not in a position to purchase seeds in large quantities. This paves the way
for the sellers to break down the bags, repack them in smaller volumes and sell them in
loose form.
The key challenge due to global climate change for the plant breeding/biotech based seed
industry is to develop climate resilient plant varieties which can adapt to the new normal
of changing climate patterns.

4. KEY ENABLERS
SCOPING GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
4. Key Enablers
Improved plant varieties with superior genetic backgrounds coupled with

digitisation of farms and farmer data, right agronomic practices, necessary
nutrition, crop protection and irrigation can deliver high breeding value and
increased production
Digitisation of field data points for each variety of seed across regions will help
identification of high quality seeds for mass production by providing health,
growth and yield analysis. Sharing advisory and educating farmers strengthen
farming as a profitable enterprise.
Seed authenticity ensures brand credibility and increased consumer confidence.

Monitoring seed quality from production to retail in a highly dynamic operational
environment is a major challenge to seed companies
Traceability systems using QR code/Barcode scanning solutions coupled with data

analytics for regular monitoring of quality assurance will be an important enabler of
seed companies to prevent counterfeiting
Need for assuring food security with sustainable agri practices drives the seed
market. Improving profitability and productivity has been a key challenge for
seed variety development in harmony with effective agronomic methods and
suitable digitalisation
Digitalised R&D will help to develop comprehensive assessment approaches across

multiple parameters for holistic assessment of plant varieties to tailor to
mechanization and improve ergonomics
Harmonization of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) & Quarantine procedures

globally has been a challenge for boosting international seed trade
An integrated international quality assurance and regulatory framework for both

seed production and quality will ensure export compliances are followed and there
is end-to-end traceability

4. Key Enablers
Multiple trials for Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) testing, State &
Central/Federal varietal identification, Product registration leads to opportunity
loss for seed industry
Alignment of testing mechanisms, standards and sharing of data and coordinated

functioning of agencies through a single centralised platform will provide visibility
into complete produce life cycles
A large proportion of seed requirement in food grains is met by farm saved or

unlabeled seeds and unorganized sector
For new seed varieties, developed through comprehensive evaluation systems,

communication to farmers of unique product advantages through demo farms will
lead to higher adoption and SRR
Farm management technologies coupled with Genetic engineering and

Biotechnology complement the conventional plant breeding process in terms of
improving precision of selection
As Gene-editing/biotechnologies are capital intensive, Public-Private Partnership

Model (PPP) with clearly defined project milestones linked to commercial
objectives will enable integration of the new innovative technologies into breeding
programs

5. THE SEED VALUE CHAIN
OVERVIEW FOR INTERVENTION
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE
SEED INDUSTRY OPERATIONS
Seed Variety 1 Seed Variety 2
Seed
Research and
development - R&D
Field Trial Plots Research and
• Data insights to select the best Development
seed varieties for mass
Seed Variety 3 Seed Variety 4
production
Selection of the best
• Visibility across the seed varieties from
chain to solve issues
faster R&D plots
Seed Variety
Seed Production 2&3
Seed
• Produce high yield Production
• Produce high-quality seeds
Production of
• Inadequate farmer engage- high-quality seeds
ment and poor understanding
of ground-level concerns
High Germinability Ensure High Quality Seeds

High Longevity/ Shelf Life Reduce Rejection Rates
Free From Pest & Disease
Warehouse Management
Warehouse &
Warehouse & Traceability
Traceability
• Inability to deliver high-quality Ensuring seed
seeds to distributors and field
sales staff traceability during Sorting & Grading
warehouse operations
and beyond
Packaging
Seed Sales and

Sales and
Warehouse
Distribution
• Insights to identify the right Marketing

regions and postcodes for
focussed sales strategy
From warehouse to
• Ensure farmer’s trust in the
brand resulting in high sales
domestic and
performance international markets Domestic &
International Markets

6. GROUND LEVEL
CHALLENGES
6. Ground Level Challenges
Seed production organizations face hurdles of quality management,

data collection, audit, and monitoring, while lack of precision tracking
results in poor output predictability and ineffective management.
No Insights on Performance of Seed Varieties
Analysing various metrics in order to substantiate grades with respect to seed varieties
Regular performance assessment of each seed variety in different soil or agro-climatic conditions
Lack of Visibility of Field Operations
Regularly inspecting crops on the field for farm management

Manual auditing of plots and monitoring for diseases, proper isolation from neighbouring fields, timely
application of fertilizers in correct quantities
Visibility of the activities performed by field officers and growers to measure the efficiency
Low Production Accuracy
Seed required for a crop in one region is different from that of other regions. Each variety requires a
long R&D process and adoption of new varieties by producers is a long cycle
Forecasting which product to develop for a market is challenging. Also, seeds are perishable goods so
there is a time limit between production and sale of the product
Maintaining production growth rates and grower efficiencies to reduce crop loss
Setting preemptive protocols to gain insights into seed performance and tracking it across the value
chain
Inaccurate Harvest Yield Estimation
Monitoring the entire seed multiplication process, from planning to production

Providing field teams with the right package of practices for the seed variety being produced
Identifying the area wise yield and markets, and correlating marketing and sales strategies to meet the
demand
Identifying the potential to augment seed operations for improving efficiency and productivity
Low Traceability Adoption
Ensuring quality seeds are produced and preventing product recall

Following and maintaining region-wise protocols due to rising food safety regulations
Essential in curbing the sale of counterfeit, low-quality seeds
During the seed multiplication process, visibility of stock/hybrid seeds being transferred from nurseries
to main fields is preventing the mixing of high-quality certified seeds with sub-par ones that result in
low yields and poor ROI for growers

7. THE CROPIN INNOVATION
7. The CropIn Innovation
Farmer reach out through
Farmer Apps/ SMS Advisory/

Videos
Lack of Access
to Information
Early Crop using Financial Security

Remote Sensing & GIS Lack of
Lack of Banks to quickly develop
Access to
Better Planning Access to loan products that are
Financial
& Scheme Markets assessed through the
Services
Implementation use if digital platform
Cadestral Maps |
Satellite Data
Lack of Access Lack of Access

to Machines to Quality
& Labours Inputs
Multi stakeholders
marketplace where
growers buyers connect

Expanding Growth Opportunities
For The Global Seed Market

8. INSPIRING GLOBAL
SUCCESS STORIES
A. Savannah Seeds
Impact:
Savannah Seeds is one of the world’s foremost
Digitisation of farming operations across
tech-based seed companies established in 2010. 2000+ acres in Rajasthan & Haryana
The company aims to develop smart rice with
high yields and value-added traits. Their mission
is to drive sustainable food production through 100% of farms digitised
rice seed technology and make a positive impact
on farmers, employees and stakeholders.
99.5% of plots now report the best
The Challenge : in class quality
• Cumbersome and cost-ineffective process

of the field agents to capture data
6 paddy varieties
• Loss o f data due to manual data collection
through forms
• Lack of accurate means to geo-map plots 40% increase in operational efficiency
• Need for a centr alised system for sending
advisories to farmers on weather and PoPs
(package of practices) 60% reduction in time of monitoring field
operations
• Lack of visibility on the activities of the field
staff
• Difficulty in monitoring the quality of Alerts resolved within a quick turnaround
time
agrochemicals used by farmers
• Inconsistent yield insights
• Requirement for real-time crop health Customised reports enabled management
to make informed decisions
monitoring
CropIn Innovation:
Owing to their unique requirements Savannah
‘We have been using CropIn’s solution since 2015 in Rajasthan,
trusted CropIn and partnered with them in 2015 to Haryana and Delhi. With the help of CropIn’s solution, now
leverage SmartFarm for their operations in Indian our team, including our managing director, have visibility on
states of Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan for the entire farm operations. We can access CropIn’s product at
any time from anywhere. It also helps us in taking the right
• Entire supply chain traceability
decisions at the right time throughout the crop production
• Real-time data captur cycle i.e. sowing to harvest. Thus saving us a lot of time and
increasing our team’s productivity. ‘
• Timely cr op advisory
-Rajiv Dabas
• Plot geo-tagging and ar
Senior Manager Production
• Alert log and management

Reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nktv0BOJUqU&t=58s
• Customized reports

B. Global Seed Producer Giant
The client is a Swiss-based global company that OBJECTIVES

produces agrochemicals and seeds for farming com-
munities around the world. As the world’s largest The company’s need of the hour was a com-
crop chemical producer, the company is helping to prehensive, user-friendly solution that could
improve global food security by enabling farmers to help achieve the following objectives:
make more sustainable use of available resources.
Their strong portfolio of 30 vegetable species and
Standardise global operations
more than 2,500 varieties makes them the partner of
choice for growers around the world.
The Challenge : Increase productivity

Being a progressive organisation that carried out
operations in multiple countries, digitising the
various operations across the board is one of its
priorities Promote process transparency
Many of the field processes were performed
manually, which led to discrepancies in data stor-
age and analysis
Arrive at reliable yield estimate
Reports from its farms were not consistent across
regions, and the extensive paperwork resulted in
the loss of valuable data
The company’s seed production division required Fuel pre-commercial traceability

a one-stop solution that improved efficiency for
users at all levels and also provided real-time
updates to key stakeholders around the globe
The solution also had to be user-friendly and Integrate with existing systems
customisable to the requirements of users in
different regions. In regions where the staff were
being paid by the hour, the team required a
reliable system that could help make their opera- IMPACT:
tions more efficient and productive and cut
What initially started as a six-country pilot
down avoidable administrative expenses
project today covers 80% of the client’s global
seed production business that manages
diverse crops that include sunflower, corn,
CropIn Innovation: rapeseeds, soybean, rice, cereals and other
After considering many other options for a farm F&V seeds, and hundreds of crop varieties on
management solution that works best for their both small and large farm holdings. CropIn
requirements, CropIn was selected to demon- has not only been able to provide an effective
strate a proof of concept for its SaaS solution solution to some of its major problems but has
‘SmartFarm’. proven to be an easy-to-use digital solution
that fulfilled all of its objectives.

Standardising Global Operations
Enabled the field staff to capture Provided managers with targeted Has been configured to suit Standardised communications
the plot and farmer data, crop information about everyday field diverse regions, each with their and processes across 16
details operations own unique specifications countries
Increasing Productivity
Adopting CropIn’s platform Additionally, users customised and CropIn’s multi-stakeholder CropIn also supported the
brought about ease of operations, generated reports by combining platform also serviced the client with its sustainability
both on and off the field. The field pre-season and in-season data. needs of different departments goals by reducing the amount
staff were able to accurately track These reports and data analytics in the production ecosystem, of paperwork involved in
and capture essential data points, provide the Management and including MOM, SPR, QA, creating and submitting
even from activities that were Leadership teams with business Trialling, by providing access reports. Making the data
unplanned and operational intelligence for to centralised real-time available online for authorised
strategic decision making that cloud data users to access will simplified
enhances business operations administrative processes, and
globally also cut down avoidable
expenses
Promote Transparency Yield Estimation
Each of the processes captured in CropIn serves as a centralised The client provided contract This info helped both the farmers
the application at real-time platform where users at multiple farmers with a reliable real-time and the field extension teams to
throughout the seed production levels in various departments can estimation of yield before the start plan their seasonal tasks
cycle access farm-level data and insightful of the season based on historical
reports on the activities, to improve data for a crop variety.
people, process and performance
The research team used this data to improve the performance

and quality of the seed variety
Pre-Commercial Traceability
By configuring the best package of practices for each crop SmartFarm also enables users to CropIn’s modules also helped the
variety, and creating a detailed activity plan based on the generate customised reports on the organisation’s Good Growth Plan in
crop’s growth cycle, the field staff ensured that the right various activities and processes that the EAME region to monitor parameters
farm practices were being followed. This ensures higher went into producing the seed contributing to sustainable agronomic
quality produce that is compliant with international practices
market regulations and standards
Integration With Existing Systems
CropIn’s APIs allow seamless integration with existing systems To enable additional data processing, a middleware was used to further calculate
enabling managers globally to customise their dashboards the data filled in CropIn’s platform and write it back into designated areas in
SmartFarm for the field team to consume them

2. Global Seed Producer Giant
Some of the other notable features that aided the client’s seed production activities include:
An offline mode that enables data Multilingual support in 15+ regional

collection even in the absence of languages, which simplifies the
Internet connectivity in remote company’s communication with users
locations in countries where English is not their
primary language.
High levels of data encryption to

provide security and preserve privacy
Scope
In the years to come, CropIn is set to scale up its
operations and expand to other divisions of seed
production, by leveraging its cutting-edge AI- and ML-
based solutions for all-round progress of its operations.

28
C. PAGREXCO
CropIn is utilizing the captured farm data to establish end-to-end value chain traceability from farm-to-
fork for one of the largest seed producing corporations for one of a kind seed potato traceability project.
The Challenge :
Punjab produces 27 lakh tonnes of potatoes every CropIn Innovation :
year, which means that ensuring a high quality of
CropIn partnered with the Punjab Agri Export
seed is absolutely critical. Currently, less than 1% of
Corporation (Pagrexco) in 2019 to leverage
the total potato farm area is certified by the Punjab
technology to utilize the captured farm data to
Seed Certification Authority. The absence of a
establish end-to-end value chain traceability
well-developed certification process has resulted in
from farm-to-fork for one of the largest seed
the rampant sale of spurious and sub-par potato
producing corporations. CropIn deployed its
seeds in the name of Punjab-grown potato seeds,
suite of 4 products for the project - SmartFarm,
which has severely impacted the credibility and the
SmartWare, SmartRisk and AcreSquare to
brand value of the genuine high-quality seeds.
achieve the following-
Given the sub-par, spurious seeds that are flooding

the market and resulting in low yields and poor ROI, QR-code based tags during packaging and
proper certifications and quality were required to warehousing for end-to-end traceability
transform potato seed production.
Cumbersome and cost-ineffective process of Ensuring International Standards and

the field agents to capture data appropriate certifications for Exports
Loss of data due to manual data collection
through forms
Harvest & Crop Management
Lack of accurate means to geo-map plots
Need for a centralised system for sending

advisories to farmers on weather and PoPs Geo-tagging of plots
(package of practices)
Lack of visibility on the activities of the field staff

Raising alert & activity scheduling
Difficulty in monitoring the quantity of

agrochemicals used by farmers
Seed multiplication
Inconsistent yield insights
Requirement for real-time crop health

monitoring Anti-counterfeiting of seeds by ensuring
they are PAGREXCO certified

Produce of Punjab
Certified
Seed Potato
The contents of this pack are certified &
and all the certification protocols can be digitally
traced by scanning the QR code on this label
Certified that the seed potato has been grown in the state of
Punjab, India with end to end traceability
Punjab State Seed Department of Punjab Agri Export Powered by

Certification Authority, Horticulture Corporation
Chandigarh Government of Punjab Chandigarh
The Impact:
22,000 35 Lakh 37,500 Seed-to-Shelf

Traceability Solution
Acres Metric Tonnes Farmers
to Preserve Global
Digitised Produce Harvested Registered
Food Integrity
Expansion:
Organic Traceability Program - The same project

is now extended to organic produce that is a
testament of the solution’s capability.
“We have an inventory of organic products and are in
In the works: Basmati Rice Traceability & Supply
System the process of enrolling farmers. We plan to implement
the technology in the current Kharif season itself,”
-Ranbir Singh, General Manager, PAGREXCO
Reference:
110,000 30,200 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/punjab-

govt-partners-with-agri-tech-start-up-cropin-for-seed-potato-
Acres Farmers traceability/article29261602.ece
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/now-check-authenticity-of-
organic-products-in-punjab-45568

D. East-West Seed
East-West Seed is a privately-owned Dutch com- nurtured relationship with local farmers wherever
pany that is one of the largest vegetable seed it operates. The company holds strong market
companies in the world and a producer of an positions in Asia and is rapidly expanding in Africa
assortment of hybrids and open-pollinated seeds. and Latin America.
East-West Seed is the market leader for tropical East-West Seed is presently enhancing its busi-
vegetable seeds in Asia. It develops, produces and ness operations and the technology they use.
markets hybrid tropical vegetable seeds. The While the organisation has been extremely
company has developed its business over the last successful in their endeavours as a seed company
four decades using superior vegetable breeding in the last 39 years, they envision the crux of busi-
combined with a carefully cultivated and ness transformation in their need to change the
way they operate and in the way they make the
best use of modern technologies.
The Challenge :
The organisation faced the following challenges 2 Production Accuracy
and there was an urgent need for digitization to
Maintain production growth rates and
help the company in their efforts to increase yield
per acre. grower efficiencies
Cumbersome and cost-ineffective process of Set preemptive protocols to gain insights into
the field agents to capture data seed performance and track it across the
value chain
Loss of data due to manual data collection
through forms
Lack of accurate means to measure perfor-

mance of each seed variety
Impact
Lack of visibility on the activities of the field staff Regions - Indonesia, India, Thailand,
Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam
Difficulty in monitoring the quantity of agro-
chemicals used by farmers
Inconsistent metrics on seed performance

across value chain
CropIn Innovation
EWS has partnered with CropIn to implement
SmartFarm™ for its operations in six regions across 35+ crops 21,624+
Asia - Indonesia, India, Thailand, Philippines, Myan- of area audited
400+
crop varieties
recorded
mar and Vietnam. The goal of the partnership is to
achieve -
1 Visibility of Seed Varieties & Field Operations
Analysing various metrics to substantiate grades

with respect to seed varieties
Measure performance of each seed variety in

different soil or agro-climatic conditions
14,200+ 272
Farmers registered
Overview of field officers and growers

Engage More
Webinar
The Digital Story of a seed
A platform Approach
INDUSTRY EXPERT
Shijo Joseph
Group CIO, East-West Seed
ANALYSING DATA ... SPEAKERS
Aakash Parekh
Vice President - Europe & Asia,
CropIn Technology
Pascal Van Dalen

AVP - Europe,
CropIn Technology
www.cropin.com/webinars/digital-story-of-a-seed-a-platform-approach/
https://www.cropin.com/request-a-demo/

Re-Imagining Agriculture with Data
About CropIn
Copyright © 2021 CropIn Technology. All rights reserved. CropIn is an Earth Observation & AI-led AgTech
organization that empowers the farming community to ‘Re-imagine Agriculture with Data’. CropIn is
focused on helping the world’s ag-ecosystem players to sustainably “maximize their per acre value” by
combining pixel-level data derived from satellite imagery, in combination with IoT and field intelligence.
CropIn is positioned to engage in a multi-disciplinary approach towards AI, Earth Observation,
Agriculture, Meteorology and Computer
Sciences, all collaborating together to bring meaningful insight to improve the ag-ecosystem and
impact the livelihood of a farmer. CropIn provides SaaS solutions to 225 agribusinesses and numerous
governments and non-government organizations present in over 52+countries. CropIn thus enables
businesses to leverage technology to effectively drive their initiatives around Digitization, Compliance,
Predictability, Sustainability and Traceability. CropIn has digitized over 13 million acres of farmland,
enriched the lives of nearly 4 million farmers, and gathered data on 388 crops and over 9,500 crop
varieties. CropIn has 92% score on adaptability ,Over 98% client retention rate.
Whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information

contained in this material, the facts, estimates and opinions stated are
based on information and sources which, while we believe them to be
Farm Management Solution reliable, are not guaran- teed. In particular, it should not be relied upon as
the sole source of reference in relation to the subject matter. No liability
can be accepted by CropIn Technology, its directors or employees for any
loss occasioned to any person or entity acting or failing to act as a result
of anything contained in or omitted from the content of this material, or
Agri Business Intelligence Solution our conclusions as stated. The findings are CropIn’s current opinions; they
are subject to change without notice. CropIn Technology has no
obligation to update or amend the research or to let anyone know if our
opinions change materially.
Packhouse Solution & Traceability

References
• zionmarketresearch.com/report/seed-market
• alliedmarketresearch.com/seed-market
• imarcgroup.com/prefeasibility-report-seed-process-ing-plant
The Seed-to-shelf Traceability Solution to • seedworld.in/ppts/SW_MPR%20Presentation.pdf
Preserve Global Food Integrity • seedworld.in/ppts/Manjit-Misra-India-presenta-tion-Sept-19-2019.pdf
• gktoday.in/gk/seed-replacement-rate/
• seednet.gov.in/PDFFILES/SRR-08.pdf
• seedworld.com/sizing-up-the-seed-sec-tor-seed-world-
september-2013/Mordor Intelligence
A B2b Farmer Engagement Application
• seednet.gov.in/material/IndianSeedSector.htm
Contact Us Editor Follow Us

[email protected] Pragati Shah

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MAPPING THE

Connected Platform-Software and Connected Farms- Connected

Copyright © 2021 CropIn Technology. All rights reserved. 2

A. Global Seed Ecosystem 5

B. Industry Operating Model 5

5. Seed Value Chain 17

6. Ground Level Challenges 19

7. The CropIn Innovation 21

B. Global Seed Producer Giant 26

Timely availability of quality seeds in adequate quantities

seed industry today is set to work with a ‘farmer-centric’

Copyright © 2021 CropIn Technology. All rights reserved. 4

Individual plant breeders or plant Biotech trait development compa-

Seed producers & Seed processors Seed marketing companies

Farmer cooperatives involved in Pure-play Plant breeding /R&D

Public sector institutions involved

Intermediaries & organizations Suppliers (such as seed treatment,

B. Seed Industry Operating Model

Seed Distribution Seed Production

Copyright © 2021 CropIn Technology. All rights reserved. 5

Data driven decisions for

Data is the most precious asset for any 70

Evidence backed operational cost optimization 10

1996 2001 2007 2012 2018 2024E

Copyright © 2021 CropIn Technology. All rights reserved. 7

Asia-Paciﬁc Is The Fastest 2%

Asia-Paciﬁc, the fastest growing geographical 33%

The region is witnessing increased adoption of 9%

Increasing technology adoption by seed

Also, increased area under cultivation of

Asia-Paciﬁc Seed Market - worth $22.91 billion in

Global Seed Market : Growth Rate by Region, 2020

Copyright © 2021 CropIn Technology. All rights reserved. 8

Genetically Modiﬁed Crops

Genetically Modiﬁed crop adoption grew from 1.7

The global genetically modiﬁed seeds market size

Genetically modiﬁed crops have also created

Rise in the Global seed trade

Copyright © 2021 CropIn Technology. All rights reserved. 9

Increase in Seed Replacement Rate (SRR)

Seed Replacement Rate is a measure of how

The SRRs have increased from almost <10% in the

Emergence of traceability tech for easy

Diversiﬁed Scope and Demands

The need to increase agricultural production

The growth in the use of biofuels such as corn

Increasing demand for maize and soybean as

Growing demand for grains, oils, and vegetables

Copyright © 2021 CropIn Technology. All rights reserved. 10

By 2019, four seed companies, Bayer, Corteva, ChemChina and

Global Seed Market

Protection provided by patent laws to Genetically Modiﬁed

Copyright © 2021 CropIn Technology. All rights reserved. 12

Commercialization of fake hybrid seeds and counterfeit of products. According to

Copyright © 2021 CropIn Technology. All rights reserved. 13

Improved plant varieties with superior genetic backgrounds coupled with

Seed authenticity ensures brand credibility and increased consumer conﬁdence.

Traceability systems using QR code/Barcode scanning solutions coupled with data

Digitalised R&D will help to develop comprehensive assessment approaches across