Advanta’s Vegetable Seeds Changing Life of Small and Marginal Farmers in Asia

Asia is home for 60% of the world population and a major food consumption centre in the world. The vegetable seed market is $3B with 41% global market share and growing at 6% CAGR. It is emerging markets with the highest populations where increasing focus is on nutrition and health. Asia launches many breakthrough technologies for disease and pest tolerance, hybrid adaption and significant improvement in shelf life and nutritional benefits. Consumers and farmers of China, South Asia and ASEAN help shape the value chain to support sustainable and profitable agriculture.
 
Advanta Seeds, a UPL seed company, is one of the fastest growing seeds companies in Asia and is rapidly expanding its vegetable business in Africa, Middle East and South America.
 
″We aim to provide high quality hybrid seeds to farmers by focussing persistently on R&D. Providing farmers with innovative solutions helps to generate better income and face climate change challenges. For us it is an immense satisfaction to know that the farmers trust us and believe that our products can change their lives’ shared Prashant Belgamwar, Regional Lead for Asia & Africa and International Vegetables Business.

Advanta’s priority lies in food security and responding to the needs of farmers while producing climate-smart and nourishing crops. It also prioritizes contributing to the UN SDGs by enhancing nutrition and protecting the environment, supporting smallholder farmers who are essential to food security. Advanta Seeds applies innovation and new technologies to develop a wider variety and higher volume of nutritional crops across multiple geographies. The company has also implemented measures to build resilient supply chains and improve access to seeds for local farmers. It invests in highly nutritious, biofortified, climate smart, and eco-friendly crops to target nutrition and climate change challenges at the same time.

Advanta Seeds like its parent company UPL is innovation driven. The focus of Advanta’s R&D is to deliver products to improve farmers income and mitigate climate change challenges with rapidly emerging pests and diseases. Robust research experience of almost 70 years in plant genetics have helped Advanta Seeds to deliver faster and better technology to farmers across the globe. A wide portfolio of multiproducts and constant development of genetic diversity is essential for Advanta Seeds in developing new technology and improving agrobiodiversity. Advanta has an advanced R&D network of biotechnology and innovation centres across Asia and South-East Asia which work closely with research partners including WorldVeg, ICAR, IIHR, IIVR and state agricultural universities.      

Responding to farmers needs, recently Advanta Seeds launched new products in vegetables with stack up traits in okra (OLCV + YVMV), tomato (TYLCV+ Fruit Quality), and hot pepper (LCV+ Fruit Traits) that significantly improved the crop performance and farmers profitability. Advanta’s innovation in vegetables focused on key values of wider adaptability, higher yield, disease tolerance in crops like okra, tomato, chillies, sweet corn and tropical cauliflower.

Advanta Seeds global leader in Okra

India is one of the largest okra markets globally, and has taken a leading position from a minor regional crop attracting investment due to its increasing value and demand from consumers.

India consumer demand for Okra grew at 5% CAGR from 2002 to 2021, while farmer price realisation increased 6% CAGR. Okra is emerging as a ‘pocket friendly’ vegetable across India with its affordability and supply consistency. Easy to cook, large no of local preferences make okra a common vegetable in India and a novelty for the rest of the world.   

Advanta Seeds developed its first high combo virus tolerance (YVMV & OLCV) okra hybrid in India, which revolutionised the okra crop. The following products like Raadhika, Navya, Jaani with a horticulture trait called ″COMBO Tolerance″ has significantly improved the life of small and marginal farmers in India by reducing risk of failure in okra production.

This innovation has positively impacted farmers with an increasing number of pickings from 25 pickings to 40+ pickings, and crop life has been extended to 120 days, with a decreased number of chemical sprays. This contributed to a 20% cost saving and reduced environmental impact. This innovation has helped farmers increase the yield levels by 20%-50% (depending on severity). Based on strong virus tolerance Advanta has launched Jaani Assurance Scheme to assure protection from viruses and secure farmers income.

Advanta Seeds currently holds the leading position in okra market in India and is looking to expand its leadership to the global market.

This article was initially published in AgroPages' '2022 India Focus' magazine.