Seed for sowing is a fundamental resource for agriculture, forestry and areas of environmental management. Seed Services Australia provide a range of professional seed-related services to South Australia, interstate and overseas clients. These services include:

• Seed certification – programs for maintaining genetic identity of plant cultivars during multiplication from generation to generation.
• Seed testing to assess aspects of seed quality that determine the planting value of seed
• Providing official documentation and assistance to enable specific export market access
• Training in seed-related areas
• Specialist technical information on seed-related topics

We have a long history in agriculture agencies of the SA Government with the initiation of seed testing in 1917, and seed certification in 1939.

Seed Services Australia is accredited by the Australian Seeds Authority (ASA), through Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Australia (AFFA), to conduct the OECD Seed Schemes varietal certification in Australia. This scheme increases the marketability of seed by providing access to specific overseas markets.

We are South Australia’s only local provider of OECD and AOSCA seed certification and ISTA accredited seed testing services. Seed Services Australia staff are located in Adelaide, Naracoorte in the South-East, and in the mid-North of the state. We also use highly experience contract inspectors in Western Victoria and southern New South Wales

The SA seed industry

The seed industry in South Australia is the largest (in volume) and most diverse (in numbers of species) nationally. Between 50 to 60% of South Australian seed is exported. This amounts to just over half of Australia’s seed exports in volume.

There is little export of cereal or grain legume seed to other States or overseas; field crop seed produced in South Australia is generally used by South Australian farmers. In contrast, about 80% of forage seed produced is exported out of the State.

South Australia produces about 50% of an estimated 20,000 tonnes of forage seed produced annually in Australia, almost all of which is certified. South Australia specialises in production of annual medics, sub clover, white clover and lucerne with about 90% of Australia’s lucerne seed produced in the upper South East of the State.

The industry comprises two main focus groups – seed producers and seed agribusiness. However these groups are becoming less distinct as more growers become contractors subject to the terms of proprietary owners.

Traditionally, growers have been represented through State affiliates of the Grains Council of Australia (GCA) seed section, and are mainly temperate forage seed growers.

Two main groups represent the agri-business sector:

• the Seed Industry Association of Australia Ltd (SIAA) representing merchants, processors, growers and allied businesses
• the National Agricultural Commodities Marketing Association (NACMA) which consists of marketing businesses mainly associated with the grain industry