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Most farmers don't save seed for replanting anymore even if they're non GMO, especially if they want to be economically competitive. The $50-150/acre that seeds
by throwup238 1y ago
Most farmers don't save seed for replanting anymore even if they're non GMO, especially if they want to be economically competitive. The $50-150/acre that seeds cost are a small fraction of the benefit of using F1 hybrid seeds due to hybrid vigor - the plants they produce have a higher yield that more than makes up for it, on the order of 15-50% higher depending on variety.
The seeds they get from a manufacturer also mature more consistently and uniformly, they do a much better job of cleaning and protecting the seed (e.g. fungicide), and usually end up costing less than doing it yourself because of the labor involved in preparing the seed for storage.
- kouteiheika 1y agoIf it's economically advantageous to buy the seeds anyway then why do the manufacturers legally prohibit the farmers to save the seeds? Wouldn't the farmers naturally pick the option that yields them the most profit?
- contrarian1234 1y agoBecause that'd be unmanageable.. obviously a local "seed cleaning/prep" company (such at the one providing nonGMO seed) would just come around and undercut the company that developed the GMO seed. The farmers will just claim they're reusing their seed
- throwup238 1y agoIt allows them to maximize the value they extract from the whole enterprise and defend their competitive advantage. In short: greed and fear. The long answer is more complicated. For example corn, soybeans, and wheat aren’t generally planted as F1 hybrids so farmers can (and do) save seed so the manufacturers walk this tight rope between crops where it really matters and ones where they don’t, but have to defend their whole system regardless.