Field Crops Development Company (FCDCo) was established in 2014 by scientists and experts of the Sugar Beet Seed Institute (SBSI). At present, this group is the only knowledge-based company that has succeeded in obtaining all relevant activity-license from the Ministry of Agriculture-Jahad, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, and the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology and is classified as type one of knowledge-based production company. Relying on its expert forces, FCDCo is one of the leading and experienced companies in the field of breeding and production of sugar beet seeds and other crops.
The vision and activities of the company are summarized in several aspects including transformation of research technology into a superior customer-oriented product, planning based on customer demand, continuous increase in the quality of cultivars and leading the production of new cultivars superior to current ones, diversity in product portfolio (variety in cultivars, collaboration with foreign companies to transfer technology and access to new genetic resources), creating the necessary platform for the transfer of seed production operations of European companies into the country due to the existence of a suitable climate and equipped factories and low costs. The company has more than 80 experienced experts and 40 scientists as well as 150 members familiar with various fields of sugar beet crop.
In addition, FCDCo has the royalty of parental lines production of the superior cultivars produced in accordance with the climatic condition of the country as well as more than 80 years of research activity. The company has also access to genetic resources and germplasm obtained by SBSI. At present, Shokoofa, Arya, Ekbatan, Sina, Arta, Palma, Asia, Dena, Kimia, Nika, and Homa cultivars are produced with two types of normal and super seed processing. FCDCo has 20% of the country’s sugar beet seed market competing with reputable European companies and global brands. Annually, FCDCo sells about 30,000 units of sugar beet seeds with an approximate value of one hundred billion Rials, and due to the limitations of the global market and foreign exchange supply, this share will increase this year and next year.
The company has also access to two seed processing factories located in Ardabil and Karaj with equipped laboratories.
Signing a partnership agreement with az-tohum seed production company in Turkey, FCDCo is producing tomato, cucumber, pepper and pumpkin cultivars in the country with the support of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology.