Seed sourcing, step by step: a worked example
Hypothetical example. This is not a real customer, project or supplier. All figures are illustrative inputs to show the method; real prices and quality vary by crop, variety, origin and season.
A buyer needs seed for 40 ha. Here is how the free tools take them from a need to a comparable decision, without sharing contact details with suppliers.
1. Buyer timeline
- Week 1
Define the need: crop, 40 ha planted area, sowing window, target plants per hectare and required documents.
- Week 2
Check the seed lot basics with the germination calculator and agree minimum germination and purity in writing.
- Week 3
Send one supplier-neutral RFQ so every offer answers the same specification.
- Week 5
Compare offers by cost per hectare and per established plant, not by price per kg.
- Week 6
Request missing documents, choose, and fix delivery and acceptance-test terms before payment.
- Before sowing
Test the delivered lot on arrival and record results against the agreed specification.
2. RFQ: what the request contains
| Crop and variety requirements | Crop, market type, any required resistances, maturity window |
|---|---|
| Quantity basis | 40 ha × target 500,000 established plants/ha; supplier states kg needed |
| Quality minimums | Germination ≥ 85%, purity ≥ 98%, test date within 6 months (example values) |
| Documents | Germination test report, certification label, phytosanitary certificate if imported |
| Delivery | Sowing window, destination, packaging, storage conditions |
| Price basis | Price per kg, currency, Incoterm, payment terms |
3. Comparing two offers
Formula: seed per ha (kg) = target plants ÷ (seeds per kg × germination × purity × field emergence); cost per ha = kg/ha × price per kg. Both offers: thousand-seed weight 4 g (250,000 seeds/kg), field emergence 80%, target 500,000 plants/ha. Currency is a generic unit.
| Item | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Price per kg | 120 | 100 |
| Germination | 90% | 75% |
| Purity | 98% | 95% |
| Established plants per kg | 176,400 | 142,500 |
| Seed needed per ha | 2.83 kg | 3.51 kg |
| Seed cost per ha | 340.14 | 350.88 |
| Seed for 40 ha | 113.4 kg | 140.4 kg |
| Seed cost for 40 ha | 13,606 | 14,035 |
The cheaper price per kg (Offer B) costs more per hectare because fewer seeds become plants. This compares price and stated quality only — not variety fit, disease resistance, delivery reliability or documents.
Compare your own offers →4. Project blueprint
- Scope: 40 ha, one crop, one sowing window, quantity on an established-plant basis.
- Decision gates: specification agreed → offers comparable → documents complete → arrival test passed.
- Risks: late delivery before the sowing window, germination below specification on arrival, missing phytosanitary certificate, variety not suited to the site climate.
- Evidence to keep: test reports, labels, certificates, arrival test results and the written specification.
Start your own project
Free, no sign-in needed. A SeedMatchGroup sourcing specialist reviews your request privately; supplier introductions happen only after review.
Send a private project brief