The use of seeds is a key factor in farming and agricultural activity. Commercial farmers especially prefer the utilization of processed seeds, allowing them to have access to a wide global market.
An individual with moderate capital investment has the opportunity to set up a small-scale seed processing plant. This article will discuss how one can start their own small-scale seed processing plant.
Before digging into it, let’s understand what seed processing is: it’s a combination of agricultural and processing activities authorized by the State Authority.
In general, seeds of both grains and vegetables are popular. Wheat, paddy, and maize are the primary cereal grains across the world. Therefore, these particular crops have production numbers that rank highest in quantity. When you move beyond these, seeds for fruits and veggies come in second place in terms of quantity.
In the organized sector, generally, two distinctive types of seeds exist. One type is certified and the other is processed and packaged.
After the seeds are handled by a government entity for certification, then the seeds become certified. Without having any certification though, you can still process and bundle the seeds but have to guarantee that the quality of that seed like its moisture content or germination rate is maintained.
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Advantages of Using Processed Seeds
- Certified agricultural seeds are necessary to raise agricultural production.
- This is useful for creating a uniform environment to promote crop growth.
- Furthermore, this improves the seed germination process and makes plants resilient in the face of too much or too little moisture.
- Lastly, the certification of seeds strengthens the immunity of plants against diseases and stops the spread of plant illnesses.
Steps to Start Seed Processing Business
1. Cost & Investment for Seed Processing Plant Project
Clearly, investment is a big worry for any business owner. And this is where the significance of a custom project report comes in. Initially, you must recognize the requirement for the special type of seed in the market. And as such, you have to establish the product first.
After deciding on a specific foundation, you must create a project report or business plan. Both cases necessitate the requirement of a project report, even if you don’t use it to apply for finance.
Generally speaking, a project report is the foundation of any business venture. Additionally, employing its information will assist in commencing a business without encountering unwanted hassles.
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Generally, a seed processing plant business requires money for buying land and machinery as well as for working capital. This business usually needs higher working capital investment than other agro-processing businesses.
2. Seed Processing Plant Setup
Basically, certified seed processing involves two activities: agricultural activity and processing activity. As such, it’s best to set up a plant close to the cultivated land.
Depending on the type and quantity of seeds you wish to produce, the area needed for your plant will vary. For example, if you want to only cultivate paddy seeds, 3000 sq ft of enclosed space is enough for the operation. Additionally, an open-air section should be incorporated into the factory.
You can typically operate the seed processing plant using electricity only, however, if you want continuous production, you will need a diesel generator.
3. Seed Processing Plant Machinery
The kind of machinery needed to process certain seeds varies, but here we provide a general list of machinery you may need.
Additionally, you can either set up a semi-automatic or fully automatic seed processing plant. Unsurprisingly, a semi-automatic setup costs lower than a full-fledged automatic one.
- Pre-cleaner
- Seed Cleaner
- Indent Cylinder
- Specific gravity separator
- Elevator with a maximum height of 5 meters
- Vacuum cleaner
- Digital moisture detector (For Wet Conditions)
- Bag closer heavy duty
- Weighing scale
- Diesel generator set
4. Agricultural Activity
As a seed processing business, the first step is to source breeder seeds from an authorized research facility. Next, one has to replicate the seeds so as to cultivate a foundation seed. Lastly, harvestable crops are produced. These seeds then need to be certified by a government-authorized agency.
If you don’t have enough land to cultivate for seed multiplication, another option is to do contract farming with local farmers.
5. Processing Activity
Generally, the seed processing process is divided into various steps. When it arrives in the processing plant, it goes either directly to cleaning or into storage until it’s ready to be processed.
You may need to dry the seed. In the initial processing stage (conditioning and pre-cleaning), any necessary operations such as scalping, debearding, and shelling are done in order to make the seed easy to flow.
The second step (cleaning and sorting) involves the removal of useless materials, weeds, other crop seeds, and cracked, oversized or undersized seeds from the crop. During this process, the seeds will be obtained in uniform sizes that are within the perforations of the top and bottom screens.
After reaching the intended level of purity, the seed proceeds to the last processing step where it is categorized and sorted out according to certain traits such as length, weight, etcetera. Then, it should be treated and packed before being stored in readiness for sale and distribution.
Seed processing offers great potential for earning money in the agro-input industry. Furthermore, this business has a lot of potentials to expand.
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