A study of the seed provision policy will help understand its impact on the development of the two important private seed markets in Thailand, i.e., the markets for inbred varieties rice seed and hybrid maize seeds. Since inbred varieties allow the rice farmers to save their own seeds for future production, the role of the private sector should be limited. Yet, the private rice seed market has grown rapidly since the 1997/98 economic crisis. On the other hand, most maize farmers in Thailand use hybrid varieties and thus the private sector—particularly the large-scale domestic companies and MNCs—have played an important role in the maize seed market. The question is how does the seed provision policy affect the structure and performance of both the markets for rice and maize seeds? Another important issue in the private seed markets is the quality of seeds sold by the traders.
This paper will answer the following four specific questions.
1. What is the pattern and trend of the seed markets? Subsequently, how does the market respond to the increase in demand for seed? Are there any problems with the quality of seeds?
2. What were the major changes in the public policies of seed production and provision in the last two decades?
3. How did the policies affect the private seed markets? Did they facilitate or impede the development of the private seed markets? And, what is the weakness of the current seed policy?
4. What are the future challenges in the seed industry?