Sakata

Stakeholder engagement
The company demonstrates that it undertakes stakeholder engagement activities through its involvement with African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA). However, it could disclose an overview of issues raised through these activities as well as how it identifies its most relevant stakeholders.

The company provides limited insight into its position and activities related to genetic resources and intellectual property management. As it is important that seed companies contribute to genetic resources and intellectual property management that supports smallholder agriculture, the company could provide more insights into its activities for others to learn from.

Developing improved varieties of global crops
Although the company does not have a breeding programme in the region, it makes hybrids suitable for smallholder farmers available. These are developed through the company’s breeding activities in India, Thailand and South Africa.

Breeding programme for specific traits
Sakata is involved in developing particularly important traits for smallholder farmers, such as resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. The company could consider expanding this to include resistance/tolerance to regionally important pests and diseases.

Variety testing
The company does not perform variety trials in the region and could consider extending its testing locations to the region.

Seed production activities in index region
The company does not have seed production locations in the region. It has the opportunity to introduce seed production locations in the region and engage with local seed companies and farmer organisations, respecting social and labour rights of workers. This would contribute to the transfer of advanced technologies and strengthen both local expertise and a sustainable business climate.

Affordability
The company could expand its affordability programmes to include programmes in such areas as microfinance, insurance schemes, credits, tailored cost models or optional collective bargaining.

Quality assurance and after-sales
Sakata has an accredited laboratory through the International Seed Testing Association and ensures that seeds are not sold beyond their shelf-life by periodically sending small shipments to distributors. The company could improve its performance in this area by disclosing more information regarding its prevention of the sale of counterfeit seeds, after-sales support programmes and monitoring of its distribution network in all countries where it has sales.

Demonstration and promotion strategies
Sakata offers demonstration and promotion programmes, including field days and demonstrations, in all index countries where it has sales in the region. However, the company could increase its disclosure on programmes targeted towards women smallholder farmers.

Extension services
Sakata offers extension services in all the countries it is active in, both directly and through distributors. The company offers crop management advice to smallholder farmers. This advice covers such topics as plant density, sowing date, fertilizing, irrigation, CP products, harvest point and post-harvest precautions. The company discloses that it has reached 2,000 smallholders in the region.

Programmes for women farmers
The company does not disclose evidence of programmes that are targeted towards building the capacity of women farmers.

Next-generation farmers
Sakata collaborates with Montpellier SupAgro to finance studies of African Agronomy graduates, and it often holds presentations at faculties of agronomy in different countries. However, the company has the opportunity to track the number of next generation farmers reached in the region.

Cabbage
Squash
Onion

Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Eggplant
Gourd
Green bean
Green pea
Lettuce
Melon
Okra
Onion
Pepper (hot)
Pepper (sweet)
Pumpkin
Squash
Tomato
Watermelon

Download the portfolios of all companies in the 2021 index for Western and Central Africa here.

Plant breeding activities in index regions and developing improved varieties of global crops
Sakata has its own breeding programme in South Africa and develops hybrid varieties of vegetable crops, including melon, okra and onion. It is unclear whether the company invests in the capacity building of local research staff in its breeding activities in the region.

Seed production activities in index region
Sakata has production locations in South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. The company involves local companies in seed production in the region, but it has the opportunity to provide examples of how they are involved.

Quality and safety of varieties
The company adheres to internationally accepted best practices on safeguarding the quality and safety of seeds through its laboratory authentication by the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA). When launching new varieties, Sakata follows national registration protocols according to the requirements of countries such as South Africa, Rwanda and Uganda. The company states that it follows similar variety testing protocols for countries lacking registration protocols. Sakata does not market genetically modified varieties.

Extension services
Sakata offers extension services in all of the countries it is active in, both directly and through distributors. The company discloses that it offers support, regular advice and training to farmers through its regional product development consultants. Sakata discloses that it has reached 4,000 smallholders in the region for the index study period.

Next-generation farmers
The company is involved in various open days at universities in South Africa, and it invites many students to demonstration days at its trial fields. It offers tours for students at Sakata facilities, has direct contact with some university professors and collaborates with research programmes across the region. As a result, Sakata has reached between 100 and 150 next-generation farmers in the region for the index study period.

Stakeholder engagement
The company undertakes stakeholder engagement activities with the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA), the Seed Trade Association of Kenya and the Tanzania Seed Trade Association. However, it could disclose an overview of issues raised through these activities as well as how it identifies its most relevant stakeholders.

The company provides limited insight into its position and activities related to genetic resources and intellectual property management. As it is important that seed companies contribute to genetic resources and intellectual property management that supports smallholder agriculture, the company could provide more insights into its activities for others to learn from.

Local participation in breeding/variety development
Sakata gathers feedback from smallholder farmers on key products in its breeding programme, which is shared with breeders in the region to inform trait development. The company could disclose more information on this process, including how it incorporates feedback from women farmers.

Breeding programme for specific traits
Sakata’s breeding programme includes developing traits that are particularly important for smallholder farmers, such as resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. However, the company could consider expanding this to include resistance and tolerance to regionally important pests and diseases.

Engaging smallholder farmers in seed production
The company does not disclose information on the involvement of smallholder farmers in its seed production activities.

Social and labour rights in seed production
Sakata discloses that it prohibits child labour and forced labour and recognises the health and safety risks to smallholder farmers in its seed production activities. The company indicates that it carries out regular visits to production sites, but it could provide evidence of a coordinated and consistent monitoring system for these issues, both when seed production is carried out by the company itself or through an intermediary. Furthermore, the company does not disclose whether it pays its workers a living wage or requires its intermediaries to do the same.

Diverse portfolio
As the company only has a few varieties for each crop in its portfolio in the index countries where it has sales in the region, it could diversify its portfolio by offering more varieties per crop.

Demonstration and promotion strategies
The company has demonstration and promotion programmes in all index countries where it has sales, including farmers’ days, demonstration plots, radio advertisements and social media promotions. However, the company could increase its disclosure on programmes targeted towards women smallholder farmers.

Programmes for women farmers
The company does not disclose evidence of programmes that are targeted towards building the capacity of women farmers.

Information and communications technology (ICT)
Sakata has a Facebook page, website and YouTube channel in South Africa, where it provides information on seed prices, farming practices and weather-related alerts. However, the company has the opportunity to elaborate on how it reaches smallholder farmers through these social media channels.

Cabbage
Tomato
Onion

Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Eggplant
Gourd
Green bean
Green pea
Lettuce
Melon
Okra
Onion
Pepper (hot)
Pepper (sweet)
Pumpkin
Squash
Tomato
Watermelon

Download the portfolios of all companies in the 2021 index for Eastern and Southern Africa here.

Plant breeding activities in index regions and breeding programme for specific traits
Sakata has its own breeding programme in India and Thailand and develops hybrid varieties of vegetable crops, including tomato, okra, pepper and gourd. The company develops a number of traits that are particularly important for smallholder farmers, such as resistance to biotic stress and longer shelf life. It also focuses on incorporating resistance and tolerance to regionally important pests and diseases, notably chilli veinal mottle virus (CVMV or ChiVMV) and tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV).

Quality management in seed production in index countries
Sakata has an internal management system to ensure quality, covering all of its seed production in index countries. The company further discloses that quality tests such as germination and purity are performed on the seeds and products that pass the standards are assigned to a local company, selected according to company regulations, and imported according to standards to index countries such as Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.

Diverse portfolio
Sakata has four or more varieties for most crops in the majority of index countries where it has sales in the region. The company offers both hybrids and OPVs.

Extension services
Sakata offers extension services in all of the countries it is active in, both directly and through distributors. The company discloses that it offers support, regular advice and training to farmers through its regional product development consultants. Sakata discloses that it has reached 4,000 smallholders in the region for the period 2018-2020.

Stakeholder engagement
The company demonstrates that it undertakes stakeholder engagement activities through its involvement with the Asia and Pacific Seed Association (APSA) and the Thai Seed Trade Association (THASTA). However, it could disclose an overview of issues raised through these activities as well as how it identifies its most relevant stakeholders.

The company provides limited insight into its position and activities related to genetic resources and intellectual property management. As it is important that seed companies contribute to genetic resources and intellectual property management that supports smallholder agriculture, the company could provide more insights into its activities for others to learn from.

Licensing
Through its membership in the International Licensing Platform, the company has the opportunity to offer guaranteed licensing of its material within a collective framework for the benefit of use in index countries.

Local participation in breeding/variety development
The company could disclose more information on how it uses feedback from local consumers, traders and smallholder farmers to inform its breeding programme.

Seed production activities in index region
The company has seed production locations in Thailand and India, and disclose they include local players in their seed production, including local companies, intermediaries and local farmers. However, it has the opportunity to provide examples of how these are involved in their seed production.

Engaging smallholder farmers in seed production
Sakata involves smallholder farmers in its seed production activities and offers them formal contracts, either directly or through intermediaries, where they outline arrangements on product prices and information on sharing of profits and risks favourable to smallholders. However, it has the opportunity to provide examples or evidence of such contracts.

Social and labour rights in seed production
While the company commits to prohibiting child labour and forced labour and it recognises the health and safety risks to smallholder farmers in its seed production activities, indicating it carries out regular visits to production sites, it has an opportunity to disclose a coordinated and consistent monitoring system for these issues both when seed production is carried out by the company itself or through an intermediate and reporting on its findings. Furthermore, the company does not disclose that it pays its workers a living wage or requires its intermediates to do the same.

Quality assurance and after-sales
Sakata has a quality assurance system with authentication from the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA). The company monitors its distribution network to check the storage conditions of distributors, and it works with distributors and legal authorities to prevent the distribution of counterfeit seeds. However, the company could disclose more information regarding its programmes to provide after-sales support to farmers.

Affordability
The company has an opportunity to expand its affordability programmes to include programmes in areas such as microfinance, insurance schemes, credits, tailored cost models or optional collective bargaining.

Information and communications technology (ICT)
The company provides information on farming practices, cultivation practices, markets and weather-related alerts, which are mainly provided via social media platforms such as WhatsApp. However, the company has the opportunity to elaborate on how it reaches smallholder farmers through these social media channels.

Programmes for women farmers
The company does not disclose evidence of programmes that are targeted towards building the capacity of women farmers.

Carrot
Pepper

Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Eggplant
Gourd
Green bean
Green pea
Lettuce
Melon
Okra
Onion
Pepper (hot)
Pepper (sweet)
Pumpkin
Squash
Tomato
Watermelon

Download the portfolios of all companies in the 2021 index for South and South-East Asia here.