Definition: Seeds and planting stock

Category: National accounts

This heading covers the total consumption of bought-in domestic and imported seed and planting stock for current production and maintaining stocks in vineyards, orchards, Christmas tree plantations and forest areas. It includes in particular direct purchases of seed and planting stock from other farmers. However, seed produced and consumed within the same unit in the same reference period is not recorded under this heading (cf. 2.20.4.).
It should be noted that intermediate consumption of field crop and vegetable seed mainly corresponds to (i) first generation seed purchased by producers for propagation and (ii) certified seed bought by agricultural holders for crop production. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/KS-27-00-782-__-I-EN.pdf