Pioneer Goes to Seed-Count Soybean Seed

Recently, Pioneer Hi-Bred announced that they were going to change the way they sold soybean seed, going from pounds per bag to a seed count. Corn went this direction some time back, and it took some adjustment among producers. NC State Extension corn and small grain specialist Dr.

Ron Heiniger had these thoughts:

“Seed costs are going up. Whenever you value something instead of selling in bulk you begin to count them one by one. Its concerning from the farmer side because when you buy in bulk you have the opportunity to get a little extra. Buying seed per pound allows there to maybe be a little more in the bag. My fear is that this is going to lead to an increase in seed costs for the grower. On the other hand, the grower could become more aware of what his seeding rates are, something they need to be fairly precise on. 

Other companies will follow Pioneer’s lead on this. It’s just a matter of time before others use this format as well. It’s a clue into what the next several years will bring. 

When corn went in this direction it lead to higher costs. It’s jumping up $10 to $20 per bag each year. That same trend is in store for soybeans. 

Heiniger says that when an industry leader like Pioneer takes this type of step, other companies are sure to follow in short order.