Seed cost guide: indicative price per kilo by crop (2026)
Indicative wholesale price ranges for tomato, pepper, cucumber, watermelon, melon and forage seed — and what drives them up or down.
How much does hybrid vegetable seed cost per seed?
Indicative 2026 wholesale FOB ranges: greenhouse F1 tomato USD 0.06–0.25 per seed (elite lines above USD 0.40), open-field F1 tomato USD 0.01–0.05, F1 cucumber USD 0.05–0.20, blocky sweet pepper USD 0.15–0.50 and triploid watermelon USD 0.25–0.55. Actual quotes vary by quantity, variety, lot, currency and incoterm.
Key takeaways
- F1 hybrid greenhouse tomato: USD 0.06–0.25 per seed for indeterminate beefsteak, truss and cocktail hybrids from Dutch and Israeli breeders.
- F1 hybrid open-field tomato: USD 0.01–0.05 per seed for determinate hybrids from Indian, Turkish and US breeders.
- F1 hybrid cucumber: USD 0.05–0.20 per seed for parthenocarpic Beit Alpha and English types; less for monoecious open-field types.
- F1 hybrid sweet pepper: USD 0.15–0.50 per seed for blocky bell hybrids from Dutch breeders; long sweet and chili types are typically lower.
- Triploid watermelon: USD 0.25–0.55 per seed for seedless triploid hybrids; diploid pollinizers are cheaper.
Seed pricing is opaque because catalogues rarely show wholesale rates and because price varies dramatically between commodity open-pollinated varieties and elite F1 hybrid genetics. This guide gives indicative ranges so you can sanity-check a quote.
Ranges below are 2026 indicative wholesale, FOB origin, for commercial buyers. Your quoted price will vary by quantity, variety, lot, currency and incoterm.
F1 hybrid greenhouse tomato
USD 0.06–0.25 per seed for indeterminate beefsteak, truss and cocktail hybrids from Dutch and Israeli breeders. Elite proprietary lines can exceed USD 0.40 per seed.
F1 hybrid open-field tomato
USD 0.01–0.05 per seed for determinate hybrids from Indian, Turkish and US breeders. Heat-tolerant lines with strong disease packages sit at the top of the range.
F1 hybrid cucumber
USD 0.05–0.20 per seed for parthenocarpic Beit Alpha and English types; less for monoecious open-field types.
F1 hybrid sweet pepper
USD 0.15–0.50 per seed for blocky bell hybrids from Dutch breeders; long sweet and chili types are typically lower.
Triploid watermelon
USD 0.25–0.55 per seed for seedless triploid hybrids; diploid pollinizers are cheaper.
Forage and field crops
Quoted per kilogram, not per seed. Lucerne (alfalfa) typically USD 4–10/kg wholesale; ryegrass USD 2–5/kg; clover USD 5–15/kg depending on species.
How to use these numbers
If a quote is dramatically below the bottom of the range, ask for the ISTA analysis and the breeder name — cheap seed often means old lots, low germination or unbranded varieties. SeedMatchGroup helps buyers run that triangulation — submit a request via Get a Quote for Hybrid Vegetable Seeds, Get a Quote for Tomato Seeds or Get a Quote for Cucumber Seeds.
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Frequently asked questions
- How much does hybrid vegetable seed cost per seed?
- Indicative 2026 wholesale FOB ranges: greenhouse F1 tomato USD 0.06–0.25 per seed (elite lines above USD 0.40), open-field F1 tomato USD 0.01–0.05, F1 cucumber USD 0.05–0.20, blocky sweet pepper USD 0.15–0.50 and triploid watermelon USD 0.25–0.55. Actual quotes vary by quantity, variety, lot, currency and incoterm.
- How is forage seed priced?
- Forage and field crops are quoted per kilogram, not per seed. Indicative wholesale ranges are USD 4–10/kg for lucerne (alfalfa), USD 2–5/kg for ryegrass and USD 5–15/kg for clover depending on species.
- What should I do if a seed quote is far below the market range?
- Treat it as a signal, not a saving. Ask for the ISTA analysis, the breeder name, the lot number and the production year. Prices well below the bottom of the range usually indicate old lots, low germination or unbranded varieties.
- Why do catalogue prices differ from the price I am quoted?
- Catalogue rates are retail references. Commercial pricing depends on order volume, the specific variety and lot, the incoterm (FOB, CIF, DAP), payment terms and currency, so the same variety can be quoted at materially different levels to two buyers in the same month.
Move from reading to sourcing
The pages below carry the commercial detail for this topic — cost ranges, supplier verification, specification checklists and financing routes.