Africa and Middle East Seed Market Overview

Despite its large area of arable land, Africa and the Middle East accounted for only 5% of global seed trade value in 2021 due to relatively low cultivation rates of commercially traded seeds. Vegetables are by far the most valuable seed sector in the region, accounting for more than half of the region’s seed trade value.

Despite its large area of arable land, Africa and the Middle East accounted for only 5% of global seed trade value in 2021 due to relatively low cultivation rates of commercially traded seeds. Vegetables are by far the most valuable seed sector in the region, accounting for more than half of the region’s seed trade value. A key reason for this is that the vegetables grown in these countries are often intended for export to foreign markets such as Europe. F1 hybrids produce high-value vegetables with predictable and uniform yields and, due to breeding requirements, sell for more in seed and non-hybrid varieties.

The table below shows the major seed trading markets ranked by value. The table also shows the proportion of the total value derived from vegetable seeds. The importance of vegetable value is evident, with much of it coming from crops in Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Algeria and Morocco.