Arizona grown
Seed industry sprouts green for yuma, state
The seed industry in Arizona and Southern California plays a vital role in the world’s production of food, producing millions of dollars’ worth of seed every year that is distributed to countries around the globe to grow a wide range of crops.
In addition, hundreds of seed companies bring their unique genetics to the industry to help supply grower demand in many historic and new crops as well as to provide solutions to problems confronting growers dealing with disease, pests and climate change.
The Seed Trade Association of Arizona is dedicated to serving that industry through updates on current issues, events and regulations; political representation at local, state, regional and national levels; networking; and providing a forum to discuss issues of concern, said Lyle Franklin, 2021-22 president of STAA. And should the occasion ever arise to require a political response to a concern, the organization is ready to take on that task, he added.
In fact, just such a scenario is what led to the establishment of STAA in 1992 when seed people united to protest a legislative proposal to impose a sales tax on seed sales, a move the seed industry felt was unjustified and would do harm to their customers. The proposed tax was dropped.
“We strive to be the voice for seed companies, farming operations, grower/shipper entities and exporting and production companies for fair market solutions,” Franklin said.
He noted that STAA also provides thousands of dollars in annual scholarships to college students from Yuma and Imperial counties and other parts of Arizona to encourage the next generation of professionals in agriculture-related careers. STAA has given nearly $50,000 in scholarships to more than 50 students in the last 10 years. Last year alone, it gave $7,500 to eight recipients at the University of Arizona.
“One of our challenges is the new generation in the agriculture industry,” Franklin said. “We need to support agriculture education to have the next generation of degreed ag people. A number of our members are UA alumni. There’s a close relationship between the ag industry and the Yuma campus (of the University of Arizona), helping Yuma and the region … helping fill the need for incoming talent. That’s vital to the continuing advancement of the industry.”
Franklin himself credits the various scholarships
he received with his being able to obtain a degree in agriculture business at Arizona State University in 2002. A Yuma native, he grew up in the South Gila Valley where his father had a heavy equipment business that did a lot of work for farmers. Growing up he was active in 4-H and FFA. Today, he has a position with TS & L Seeds in the company’s Yuma office. He got involved with STAA in 2016 when the organization was working to bring in new members.
As this year’s president, he is finalizing plans for the organization’s 30th annual convention, to be held May 5-6 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson.
This year’s theme is “Outstanding in the Field.” Franklin said the theme actually has a couple of meanings and is a bit of a play on words. First, seed people spend a lot of time out (side) standing in the field, he explained. Second, he added, “the more time we spend with STAA enables us to be outstanding in our business. I think seed men (and women) should be a valuable resource to our customers. We offer genetic solutions to a ranch’s problems. We’re about more than selling seed.”
Highlights of the convention will include an update on current legislative issues affecting Arizona agriculture, a presentation on current academic programs offered by the University of Arizona-Yuma and reports from the Southern Seed Association and American Seed Trade Association. There also will be an afternoon workshop with the Arizona Department of Agriculture led by Jack Peterson, the agency’s director of the Environmental and Plant Services. The convention will conclude with a dinner and silent auction, which raises scholarship funds. A golf tournament will be held the next day.
While the organization’s name implies it is for the seed industry in Arizona, STAA also includes members from Southern California who often have taken an active role. For example, Justin Gillies, general manager Imperial Vegetable Seeds, was the STAA president in 2018-19. The incoming president is Joe Vandiver, product and sales manager for Rijk Zwann USA in Brawley.
Likewise, several seedmen in Arizona also are members of the California Seed Trade Association.
As part of the convention, STAA members will honor longtime seedman Tim Thompson, who was a charter member of the organization and served as its president in 2005. STAA members also will memorialize longtime members Kelly Keithly and Larry Taylor, both of whom died in recent months. Keithly and Taylor were charter members of STAA and Taylor served as the president in 1996.
It’s hard to place a dollar value of the seed industry in Arizona or its share of the estimated $23.3 billion economic impact agriculture and agribusiness have on the state. However, officials place it at tens of millions of dollars.
“It’s a tremendous amount,” stated Tim Butcher, production manager for Priority Seed Production who served as STAA president in 2017-18.
That’s especially true when factoring in not only vegetable seed crops but also the grass and forage seed crops that are grown in Yuma County and other parts of Arizona. He said the three big vegetable seed crops grown here are hybrid broccoli, cauliflower and short-day onions. They alone are worth millions of dollars. In addition, the area produces thousands of acres of Durum wheat seed, Bermuda grass seed, Sudan grass seed and alfalfa seed.
While much of the seed is produced for domestic markets, Arizona-grown seed is a major international export crop, finding its way to markets in dozens of countries from Argentina to Vietnam.
Imperial County also has a multimillion-dollar production of seed and nursery crops. The county produced seed crops on 48,427 harvested acres for a gross value of $95.3 million, according to the 2020 Imperial County Agriculture Crop and Livestock Report.
For more information about STAA, go to the organization’s website at arizonaseedtrade.org.