Austria’s seed industry

Plant breeding and seed production represent a central sector of Austria’s agriculture. Domestic plant breeders and seed companies offer farmers a wide spectrum of varieties. According to the Austrian List of Varieties of 2024, there are 1,238 approved varieties in Austria. They provide the basis of the production of food and feed from plants. Austria’s seed production focuses on arable crops that are adapted to the local climate. They are successfully grown both in Austria and in other countries with similar climate conditions.

Plant breeding deals intensively with the adaptation of our crops to the effects of climate change. Climate change and the resulting changed production conditions represent a huge challenge for agriculture. Due to the increasing drought and the higher climate variability, yield and quality losses are to be expected in the future, which in turn will have a negative impact on yield security. Furthermore, higher pest pressure and a more speedy development of insect pests have to be expected, with heat-loving insect species spreading strongly northwards. A central objective of domestic plant breeding is to develop climate-fit varieties with particular attention being paid to dryness and heat tolerance, to adapt these varieties to the advancing climate change and regional requirements, and to ensure crop diversity.

In order to foster this objective, the Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with the Federal Provinces promotes a research and development project of the Austrian seed industry and the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) that aims to provide Austria’s farmers with healthy and climate-fit varieties also in the future. Together with the Federal Provinces, the Ministry of Agriculture provides subsidies of 1.25 million euros per year for the KLIMAFIT project.

In 2023, the seed industry and the breeding sector employed around 1,000 persons, excluding trade. Many companies also have branches in other countries. Seed propagation is predominantly organised on cooperative level in Austria. The national turnover of Austria’s seed industry (not including vegetables) amounted to around 200 million euros in 2023. On the one hand, the seed is used to cover the needs of Austrian farmers; on the other hand, it is also exported very successfully. Especially in the case of maize and soy, exports exceeded domestic consumption and therefore ensured a high added value in Austria. Exports benefit Austrian agriculture, as seed propagation generates higher added value and breeders can invest more money and time in the development of improved varieties thanks to higher sales.