Supply Chain of Paddy and Wheat Seeds Production in Tarai Development Corporation and Private Seed Firms of Uttarakhand

Abstract

Agriculture supply chains and their management are now evolving in India to respond to emerging new marketing situations in the wake of globalization. Efficient supply chains results to an increase in the marketable surplus by bringing down the inefficiencies in production, processing, storage and transportation. The study was conducted in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand for the supply chain management of wheat and rice seed production by Tarai Development Corporation in Udham Singh Nagar to analyze the forward, backward integration of supply chain. The primary data were collected from Tarai Development Corporation, and private seed plant owners through personal interviews. Private seed plant owners were interviewed to find the practices followed by them from procurement till the marketing of seeds. The secondary data was collected from various published records/ publications and from selected seed producing companies. Tarai Development Corporation has an extensive network of dealers and retailers. Tarai Development Corporation caters its customers to a number of sales channels viz. private sales channel, government sales channel, institutional sales channel and direct sales channel. Seed companies have a very robust sales channel. The sales channels may vary from one firm to another. Dependence on a particular channel may vary but channel identified are moreover same. Market dynamics in seed industry is a crucial factor. There are high chances of delayed payment in case of any change in market scenario. This was a common problem that was faced by almost every company of the region of Uttarakhand and adjoining areas of Uttarakhand as well as Uttar Pradesh. The delivery and sales channels are moreover same as that of the Tarai Development Corporation. Sales channel of private seed companies can be categorized into three categories viz. private sales, institutional sales, direct sale.