An Assessment of Native Seed Needs and the Capacity for Their Supply Final Report (2023) / Chapter Skim
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7 Seed Suppliers
7 Seed Suppliers
Pages 79-98
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From page 79... ...
Given time lags for seed production and the time and cost of producing locally adapted native seed, the chapter examines how suppliers cope with risky production conditions and uncertainty about which native seed species will have markets at the end of the production cycle. The chapter reports supplier responses on the share of year-end unsold native seed inventories and the adequacy of storage facilities to keep seed in good condition.
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From page 80... ...
of their average annual sales and operating revenues during the period 2017–2019. Suppliers with larger sales revenues were more likely to sell seed (native and non-native)
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From page 81... ...
requirements" than FIGURE 7-4 Types of seed sold by native seed suppliers.
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From page 82... ...
of suppliers from the East and two out of five (40%) of Western suppliers said that they sell "Seed mixes complying with USDA conservation programs." Native plant and seed suppliers were asked if they sold plants or seeds from different locations, to match different geographic conditions or seed zones, as in different ecotypes of the same species.
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From page 83... ...
for the supplier responses to the question about what percentage of their total native seed sales were represented by each category were as follows: native grass seed, M=37, Mdn=30; native forbs seed, M=32, Mdn=25; native shrub seed, M=9, Mdn=2; native tree seed, M=17, Mdn=0; other native seed, M=5, Mdn=0. Similarly, suppliers of native plants (as opposed to native seed)
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From page 84... ...
. The great majority of suppliers indicated that a company website (85%)
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From page 85... ...
Business Activities -- Contracting Arrangements The survey asked suppliers whether they used certain types of contracting arrangements: • "Bids on consolidated seed buys," which are responses to public procurement requests made by government agencies; • "Spot market sales of available seed or plants," which are exchanges between buyers and sellers that do not specify any conditions of sale or production; • "Marketing contracts," which specify the type, price, quantity, and delivery date of seed or plants and guarantee a purchaser for that seed or plants; and guarantee a purchaser for that seed or plant materials; and • "Production contracts" which share some production costs and/or production risks by providing flexibility in the quantity delivered and/or delivery date. Figure 7-10a shows that about 23% of all suppliers bid on consolidated seed buys.
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From page 86... ...
of firms in the category of highest annual sales revenue ($5 million or more) bid on consolidated seed buys versus suppliers with mid-size or smaller revenues (26% and 13%)
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From page 87... ...
However, approximately three out of four or more respondents in all sales revenue categories said that price guarantee, purchase guaranteed for predetermined quantity, delivery timeline, and prior positive expertise with the buyer were somewhat or very important characteristics. When suppliers were asked about the timing of signing a contract relative to when they would start to produce native seeds or plant material for sale, about half (47%)
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From page 88... ...
role for nearly all suppliers. More than half said that "demand for urban FIGURE 7-12 Typical timing of when a contract is signed, by annual sales.
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From page 89... ...
Of the respondents who replied that less than or about what they anticipated was left unsold, 44 percent considered insufficient demand a major or moderate challenge and 74 percent deemed unpredictable demand a major or moderate challenge. Another potential reason that the great majority of suppliers were on target at selling inventory may be that most have adequate storage (see below)
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From page 90... ...
Given the large share of suppliers who responded that the quantity of native seed or plant materials left unmarketed FIGURE 7-15a Impact of lack of storage on the quantity of seed suppliers can sell, by storage type.
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From page 91... ...
mentioned the lack of stock seed from appropriate seed zones or other specified locations are a major or moderate challenge. Insufficient demand was a major or moderate challenge for a little under half of the suppliers (46%)
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From page 92... ...
wild-collect more seed; (2) grow more native plants with the goal of producing and selling native seed; and (3)
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From page 93... ...
Table 7-1 provides a summary of the types of barriers that were described by the respondents and the number of respondents that mentioned this barrier. Because access to land is a barrier TABLE 7-1 Supplier Perspectives on Major Barriers and Disincentives to Wild-Collecting Native Seed Barrier Count Access to land 62 Availability of seed on the land 26 Labor 22 Depletion of the resource 17 Cost 13 Time 12 Markets 10 Knowledge 10 Environmental factors 7 Ethical reasons 6 Quality of seed 6 Resources available 4 Other 2
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From page 94... ...
Table 7-2 provides a high-level summary of the types of barriers TABLE 7-2 Supplier Perspectives on Major Barriers and Disincentives to Growing Native Plants with the Goal of Producing and Selling Native Seed Barrier Count Markets 24 Seed/plant viability 14 Cost 14 Availability 8 Space 8 Environmental factors 7 Labor 6 Knowledge 6 Time 5 Resources 4 Zoning Requirements 3 Permits 3 Other 3
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From page 95... ...
So, the dominant category of barrier to greater native seed supply appears to be the market-driven confluence of uncertain demand, high production costs, and availability of native plants as an input to the production process. In response to the question "If you were to anticipate higher demand, would your business be able to expand to grow and sell more plant materials?
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From page 96... ...
Similar to the types of barriers that surfaced in the responses about growing native plants with the goal of producing and selling native seed, the characteristics of the market were seen as the top barrier to growing and selling plants as well. Twenty-nine cited reasons categorized as "markets," 10 cited "cost," and 8 cited "availability." SUGGESTIONS FOR ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES The survey asked suppliers to provide suggestions that might help address the challenges they have encountered as suppliers of native seeds or plant materials.
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From page 97... ...
Even more broadly, suppliers suggested, a more thriving seed industry could emerge if agencies and their contractors, and the general public, had a better understanding of the importance of native plant species. Multiple suppliers commented on the need for improved access to native seed collection sources on public lands, calling for a more streamlined permit process, protection of important source areas, and even the potential use of successfully restored sites for seed collection.
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From page 98... ...
. Conclusion 7-9: Some suppliers suggested that a more thriving seed industry could emerge if agencies and their contractors, and the general public, had a better understanding of the importance of native plant species.
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