Chia Tai Co, a leading seed producer and exporter, is confident international accreditation will allow its products greater access to major markets, especially the US, Europe and Japan.
A technician works at the company’s ISTA-certified laboratory in Nakhon Pathom
Company products, mainly tropical vegetable seeds, have been distributed in 35 countries, particularly in South and Southeast Asia and in southern China.
But Manas Chiaravanond, the chief operating officer, said to sell to these markets, exported seeds must be certified by the Switzerland-based International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) for quality assurance.
The requirement has prompted Chia Tai to set up its own ISTA-accredited laboratory in Nakhon Pathom's Ban Om Noi at a cost of 20 million baht, hoping it will boost international sales by 20%.
The lab is authorised to test and confirm purity, humidity and germination and measure protein electrophoresis for a number of tropical seeds such as cucumbers, gourds, bitter gourds, pumpkins, tomatoes, chillies and melons.
Chia Tai, original core of the Charoen Pokphand Group, Thailand's largest agricultural conglomerate, also plans to accelerate the development of seed technology by offering coated seeds that strengthen the quality and extend the shelf life of the kernel.
Pellet technology adds nutrition and useful substances to seeds before planting to promote germination, said Mr Manas.
"Priming technology not only speeds up germination by about four days but also allows for strong roots," he said.
Chia Tai set aside a research and development budget of 12-13% of its total seed sales this year, about 1.45 billion baht, of which 65% is from exports. Total sales are projected to increase by 10% this year.
The Thai Seed Trade Association estimates Thailand's seed exports this year at 18 million tonnes worth 3.9 billion baht.
India, Vietnam and the Philippines are the main markets.
The association encourages members, mostly multinational corporations, to focus more on research and development in order to stay competitive in terms of prices and quality.
Apart from Chia Tai, East-West Seed Co has also established an ISTA-certified lab, operating in Nonthaburi's Sai Noi district.