Initiating Coverage | 14 March 2014
Sector: Agri
Kaveri Seeds
Seeds of success
Niket Shah
(Niket.Shah@MotilalOswal.com); +91 22 3982 5426
Atul Mehra
(Atul.Mehra@MotilalOswal.com); +91 22 3982 5417
Investors are advised to refer through disclosures made at the end of the Research Report.

Kaveri Seed
Kaveri Seeds: Seeds of success
Page No.
Summary
........................................................................................................
3-4
Story in charts.................................................................................................... 5
Cotton, a success story: Evolution of BT cotton in India
..........................
6-10
KSCL has all success factors necessary for a seed company
....................
11-14
Vision to become a leader in cotton segment
.........................................
15-16
Corn - Lower penetration provides huge opportunity
...........................
17-20
Macro opportunity is huge
.......................................................................
21-28
M&A activity to be a key driver for the sector
.......................................
29-30
Initiate coverage with a 'Buy'
...................................................................
31-35
Key concerns
....................................................................................................
36
Annexures .............................................................................................. 37-39
Financials and valuation
...........................................................................
40-41
14 March 2014
2

14 March 2014
Initiating Coverage | Sector: Agri
Kaveri Seeds
BSE SENSEX
S&P CNX
21,810
6,504
CMP: INR535
Seeds of success
TP:INR730
Buy
KSCL's cotton seed brands deliver; expect ~33% PAT growth over FY14-16
Bloomberg
Equity Shares (m)
M.Cap. (INR b)/(USD b)
52-Week Range (INR)
1,6,12 Rel. Perf. (%)
KSCL IN
68.5
36.6/0.6
559/220
-5/63/99
Financial summary (INR b)
Y/E March
2014E 2015E 2016E
Sales
EBITDA
NP
EPS (INR)
EPS Gr. (%)
BV/Sh. (INR)
RoE (%)
RoCE (%)
Payout (%)
Valuation
P/E
P/BV
EV/EBITDA
Div Yield %
10.4
2.3
2.2
31.8
71.9
50.7
52.0
21.9
16.8
7.1
15.3
1.1
13.6
3.1
2.9
42.5
33.6
46.6
48.9
24.6
12.6
5.0
10.7
1.7
17.4
4.1
3.8
56.2
32.1
43.7
45.9
24.8
9.5
3.6
7.6
2.2
KSCL is one of the leading players in seeds industry with dominant positioning in most
of the key crops: cotton (17% market share), Corn (~13% market share), Bajra (13%
market share) and Rice (~9% market share).
Kaveri has 60% market share in Guntur and Krishna but has only 25% market share in
Varingal and Karimnagar and 13% in Adilabad thereby providing significant opportunities
to improve market share. Kaveri introduced ATM in 2012 to tap Gujarat and North
India market, given initial success of ATM it expects to double its sales in FY15E for ATM.
Kaveri has 33 hybrids of corn of which 50% is single cross. Increase share of single cross
to lead to margin expansion going forward.
With 80% of the market of rice in Eastern India the company plans to sell it to state
government and participate in the subsidy business, thereby driving growth.
One of the fastest-growing seed companies
KSCL is one of the leading players in seeds industry with dominant positioning in
most of the key crops: cotton (17% market share), Corn (~13% market share),
Bajra (13% market share) and Rice (~9% market share). Its two key cotton seed
brands, 'Jadoo' and 'Jackpot', introduced in FY08 saw exceptional success as cotton
seeds sales increased from 0.5m packets (~INR400m) in FY10 to ~6.5m packets
(INR6.5b) in FY14, value CAGR (4-year) of 90%. Kaveri over the years have
developed one of the largest germplasm bank one of the key entry barriers in
the business. It has access to research institutes like ICRISAT, IRRI, CYMMIT, etc.
75.2 107.2 149.5
Vision to be a leader in cotton segment
Kaveri sells different brands in different market Eg:- Jadoo and ATM in
Maharashtra, ATM in Gujarat, Jackpot in MP depending on the traits and climatic
conditions suiting them. Around 50% revenues comes from Jadoo, 10% from
Jackpot and ATM and balance from Singha, Barood etc. Since launch of Jadoo in
2008 the company has gained 40% market share in AP (60% market share in Guntur
and Krishna each) from large players like Nuziveedu. However it has only 25%
market share in Varingal and Karimnagar and 13% in Adilabad thereby providing
opportunities to improve market share in AP.
Kaveri has 7% market share in Maharashtra and Gujarat where players like
Nuziveedu, Ajeet and Mayco have more than 20% market share proving huge
opportunity for increased penetration. Kaveri introduced ATM in 2012 to tap
Gujarat and North India markets, given initial success of ATM the company expects
to double its sales in FY15E for ATM. It also plans also launch 6 new hybrids in
FY15E to further gain market share. Higher inventory in the system for cotton in
FY14 has helped Kaveri to bring down its cost of production by INR 25 per kg and
also lower discounts in FY15 will lead to margin expansion.
Shareholding pattern (%)
As on
Dec-13 Sep-13 Dec-12
Promoter
63.6
63.6
65.0
Dom. Inst 10.5
10.1
10.6
Foreign
9.6
8.8
5.2
Others
16.2
17.5
19.3
Stock performance (1 year)
3

Kaveri Seed
Increase in share of single cross corn to drive growth and margin expansion
Kaveri has 33 hybrids of corn like Ekka, K 50, Super 224, 244, K55 to name a few.
Around 50% of them currently are single cross. And almost 6-7 brands in corn
contribute around 50% of Kaveri's corn revenues. In 2008 around 85% of the corn
sales were in kharif season while now it contributes around 65% and rabi contributes
35% of volumes and 50% of value. The current selling price of single cross hybrid
corn is around INR 200/kg as compared to 80-110/kg for 2 way and 3 way crossing
hybrid corn seeds, thereby enabling companies selling single cross corn enjoy 55-
60% EBITDA margins. We believe that with increase in Rabi hybrid corn share the
share of single cross is likely to increase complimented by increase in contribution
of single cross for Kaveri seeds (50% currently) leading to margin expansion.
Rice - a huge long term opportunity
Rice is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's population. The
total crop area under Rice in India is ~42mhectares, while area under hybrid seeds is
only ~2m hectares, hybrid seed penetration of ~5%. While in China hybrid rice is 65%
of the market, most of the current hybrid seeds have drawbacks such as cooked
hybrid rice become soggy, has distinct smell, does not retain original taste etc. Bayer
Crop Science is currently the market leader in this segment with a market share of
>50%, while other players like Pioneer have 15-20% , Nuziveedu have ~5-6% and
Kaveri have 9% market share. Kaveri currently has portfolio of 6 hybrid seeds and
has recently got notification for its 2 new hybrid namely KPH 371 and KPH 199.
Notification is precursor to participation in the subsidy business. While 80% of the
market of rice is in Eastern India the company plans to sell it to state government
and participate in the subsidy business, thereby driving growth.
Pan India distribution network
KSCL has a wide distribution network of ~15,000 direct/indirect distributors (15 key
Indian states) and strong marketing of ~350 professionals on a pan India basis as
compared to 11,000 distributors 4 years ago, it also claims to have around 90,000
loyal production growers and ~60,000 acres (across 12 different agro-climatic centres)
under seed production. It also has ~57 out-reach trail centres and seven plants spread
across the country. It has 8 own plants spread across 10 key locations in India which
has an aggregate processing capacity of ~145 MT per hour. Kaveri has 26 warehouses
at strategic locations with combined storage space of ~500,000 sqft.
Valuation and view
Over FY11-14, KSCL's revenues and net profit increased by 65% and 71% respectively
and is likely to post a revenue growth of ~29.4% and net profit growth of ~32.8%
over FY14E-16E. Given that Kaveri is on track to become the market leader in cotton
segment complimented by higher growth in higher margin corn and rice we expect
growth visibility to remain high going forward. We expect it to increase dividend
payout from current levels of ~20% to 25% in next 2 -3 years which should further
help multiple expansion. It trades at a PE of 12.6x/9.5x FY15E/FY16E EPS. Initiate
coverage with a 'Buy' valuing the stock at 13x FY16E earnings, arriving at a target
price of INR730.
14 March 2014
4

Kaveri Seed
Story in charts Seeds of success
#1
Population is increasing, while agriculture crop
area/production has been stagnanting, leading to
declining area/person.
Hybrid penetration in rice and corn to improve
going forward.
Meeting increased demand for food to be difficult
unless crop yields improve sharply.
#4
#5
#6
Stagnant land area leading to sluggish production.
Use of hybrid seeds very low in India. Increased
use of hybrid seeds shall increase production.
Increase in key crop MSPs to attract capital and
induce use of hybrid seeds.
#2
#3
#1 Declining hectare/person globally
#2 Hybrid penetration to improve
#3 Yields in India among the lowest
#4 Stagnant land area leading to sluggish production
#5 Limited use of hybrid seeds in India
#6 CAGR in MSPs to boost hybrid seeds usage
Source: Company/MOSL
14 March 2014
5

Kaveri Seed
Cotton, a success story: Evolution of BT cotton in India
Introduction of BT cotton hybrids
Bollworm was a major pest which could wipe out as much as ~50% of the crop, and hence
a 'risky' product. After Monsanto introduced the Bt gene (prevents bollworm) in FY03,
yields went from 322 kg lint / Ha to 535 kg lint / Ha.
Post introduction of BT gene the production of cotton has jumped from 17.9m bales in
2003 to 35.3m bales in 2011-2012.
Monsanto has given license to ~30 players in India for BT cotton hybrid. Key players in this
segment are Nuziveedu, Mahyco Monsanto, Kaveri, Rasi Seeds, Ankur Seeds etc.
Yield per hectare has seen dramatic jump from 300kg/hectare in 2002-03 to ~485kg/
hectare in 2011-12 marking a staggering growth of ~62% in 9 years.
Cotton - Evolution of BT cotton hybrid seed industry
Dominant Seed Tech
Yiled Range
Cotton Acreage
Est % Area under Hybrid (%)
1950-60
Local/ Desi
85-120
5.5-8
0
1970
Public Varieties
120-160
6.8-8.1
30
1980
Public &
Comm Hybrid
160-200
6.5-8.1
60
1990
Public &
Comm Hybrid
200-250
7.3-9.3
80
2003+
Commercial Bt
Hybrids
300-550
8.7-9.5
95
Source: Company, MOSL
Cotton seed price regulated
The prices of official Bt
cotton seeds in India are
regulated and stand at
INR 830 and INR 930 per
450 grams for Bt I and Bt II
respectively
The prices of official Bt cotton seeds in India are regulated. Prior to 2006, the prices
were exorbitant (roughly Rs.1,600 per packet of 450 grams which included MMBIL's
royalty of about Rs.1,250). However, two price reductions took place in 2006 & 2008
which brought down the prices to level of Rs.650 and Rs.750/- per packet for Bt I & Bt
II respectively. However these rates have now been increased to INR 830 and INR 930
per 450 grams for Bt I and Bt II respectively, thereby improving margins.
Cotton Seed Rate (Packets/ Acre)
Source: Company, MOSL
14 March 2014
6

Kaveri Seed
Cotton size in India (m)
Packets
Karnataka
2
Maharashta
15
Andhra Pradesh
14
Gujarat
4
North (Punjab & Haryana) 4
MP
2
Total
41
Cotton Seed Statistics
FY11
Volumes
Nuziveedu
% Change
% Market Share
Kaveri
% Change
% Market Share
Others
% Change
% Market Share
Industry Volumes
% Change
Average Price/ Packet
Industry Value
% Change
8.5
22
1.2
3
28.3
74
38.0
750
28,500
FY12
10.2
20
24
1.9
58
4
30.9
9
72
43.0
13
930
39,990
40
FY13
(Million Packets)
FY14E
10.3
10.0
1
-3
25
24
4.1
6.5
115
48
10
14
26.6
25.9
-14
-3
65
62
41.0
41.9
-5
2
930
930
38,130
38,964
-5
2
Source: Company, MOSL
Bt Cotton: The revolution in cotton production
According to Ministry of
Agriculture and Textile
11.2m hectares (ha) of
cotton seeds were sowed
in India 2010-2011, as
against 7.4m in 1991 and
9.3m in 2002
India is the second biggest producer of cotton since 2006, after China, but ahead of
the United States. Today, India accounts for 21 % of the global cotton production.
India changed from a net importer of cotton fibers to an exporter: in 2009 - 2010, more
than 8 million bales of 170 kg were exported, accounting for US$ 2.3 billion in revenue.
Indian cotton cultivation has been on the up over the last decade: increasing numbers
of farmers are sowing cotton, whilst the production and the yield have increased
significantly. Most of the credit of this growth goes to the introduction of biotech
cotton. This cotton carries genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, hence the
name Bt cotton. These genes produce proteins that protect the plant against
bollworms, an infamous pest in cotton. Bt cotton was officially first introduced in
India during the 2002 - 2003 growing season. According to Ministry of Agriculture and
Textile 11.2m hectares (ha) of cotton seeds were sowed in India 2010-2011, this is
substantially high compared to 9.3m in 2002 and 7.4m in 1991. The figures for 2011 -
2012 were historic: 12.2m ha sown, which is 18% more than in the two previous growing
seasons.
Hectarage cotton in India
Source: MOSL
14 March 2014
7

Kaveri Seed
Remarkable increase in production
Cotton production has
expanded from 11.9m
bales to 35.3m bales post
BT introduction
Before the introduction of the Bt production varied between 11.9 and 17.9 million
bales of 170 kg during the period 1991 and 2003. Post Bt gene introduction i.e. since
2003 this number is steadily increasing to more than 30mn bales in 2007-08 and 2009-
10 and reached 35.3m bales in 2011-12. However this is increased can also be partially
attributed to the expansion of the cultivation area. But to a larger extent it was due to
introduction of Bt gene.
0% to 90% in 10 years: A mammoth spurt in adoption
Bt cotton was officially admitted in India for commercial planting in 2002. During the
2002-2003 growing season there were 54,000 Indian cotton farmers who sowed Bt
cotton on approximately 50,000 ha. In the following years the use of Bt cotton sky-
rocketed. The area doubled in 2003-2004, quadrupled in 2004 - 2005 and the 1 million
ha threshold was passed in 2005-2006. The number increased to 3.8 million ha in 2006-
2007, to 7.6 million in 2008-2009 and to 8.4 million ha in 2009-2010. At that point, more
than 80 % of all Indian cotton plants were Bt cotton plants.
Emergence of Bt cotton in India
BT penatration has
increase from 0% in 2002
to 88% 2012
Source: MOSL
In a number of Indian cotton provinces the adoption of Bt cotton even exceeds 90 %.
Examples include Punjab (96%), Haryana (95%), Maharashtra (91%), Madhya Pradesh
(92%) and Andhra Pradesh (98%). Furthermore, provinces where Bt cotton has not
been grown much have caught up significantly over the last year (Rajasthan from 64%
to 82%, Gujarat from 59% to 81%, Karnataka from 49% to 74% and Tamil Nadu from 33%
to 77%).
Even India farmers opt for Bt cotton as against traditional cotton. The number of
farmers cultivating Bt cotton displays the same increasing curve: from 50,000 in 2002,
to 100,000 in 2003, 300,000 in 2004, 1 million in 2004 to 6.3 million in 2010. In 2012, 7.2
million of the 8 million Indian cotton farmers have chosen to sow Bt cotton. Not only
the large cotton farmers who prefer to grow Bt cotton. The average Indian cotton
farmer cultivates 1.5 ha of cotton and even the smaller farmers have switched to Bt
cotton in large numbers.
14 March 2014
8

Kaveri Seed
Yield per hectare has
seen dramatic jump from
300kg/hectare in 2002-03
to ~485kg/hectare in
2011-12
Even yield per hectare has increased significantly
In a recent report from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Bt
cotton is responsible for at least 19 % of the general increase in yield of Indian cotton
farming. Yield per hectare has seen dramatic jump from 300kg/hectare in 2002-03 to
~485kg/hectare in 2011-12 marking a staggering growth of ~62% in 9 years. However
other key factors that have contributed to the increased yield are the use of fertilizers,
hybrid seeds, and improved agricultural practices, optimum use of pesticides and
expansion of irrigation systems.
Major improvement in yield and Net Income post Bt gene
Bt gene introduction has resulted in tremendous improvement on various parameters.
As stated in Economic & Political Weekly, 2012:17; The IFPRI scientists collected data
from 186 farmers in the province of Andhra Pradesh. According to this study, the net
income of these farmers increased by an average of 209% once they switched to Bt
cotton. Although Bt seeds are more expensive and a greater investment in labor is
required, the scientists concluded that the net income of the farmers still increased
significantly. Two parameters again favor Bt: a higher yield and lower expenditure on
insecticides. All farmers benefit from Bt cotton, including the small and mid-range
farmers. Their yield increased by 39% and 33% respectively, resulting in their net
income increasing by 186% and 217% respectively. The large farmers did benefit most
from Bt cotton: the yield of their cotton harvest increased by 93 % and their income
increased by 300%.
Costs and yields before and after the adoption of Bt cotton (per 'acre' in INR)
Before adoption After adoption(Bt) After adoption (Bt) Change (in %)
(non-Bt) (2004 - 2005
(2006 - 2007
(inflation
(inflation
growing season)
growing season)
adjusted)
adjusted)
Hired laborers
1,476
1,726
1,535
4
Labor with buffalo and oxen
855
906
806
-6
Mechanical labor
587
886
788
34
Seed
598
897
798
34
Organic fertilizers
406
380
338
-17
Fertilizers
1,603
1,723
1,532
-4
Insecticides
3,267
1,599
1,422
-56
Irrigation
54
55
49
-9
Misc. (repair and transport)
84
88
78
-7
Total production cost
9,057
8,327
7,405
-18
Yield (in quintals)
721
1,027
1,027
42
Production cost per quintal
1,256
811
721
-42
Gross income
12,338
19,722
17,540
42
Net income
3,281
11,395
10,134
209
Source: Herring RJ and Rao NC, Economic & Political Weekly. 2012:17, MOSL
Farmer's income has
increased by 300%
from INR3,281/acre to
11,395/acre post BT
introduction
14 March 2014
9

Kaveri Seed
Hybrid seed industry
is very labor intensive
and comprises bulk of
cost of goods
Economics of BT cotton hybrid seed for KSCL
The table below depicts the economics of a large BT cotton hybrid seed player. Almost
all companies pay ~12-20% as royalty to Monsanto (INR 180 per packet) for using its
underlying BT gene. Hybrid seed industry is very labor intensive and comprises bulk
of cost of goods. Average margins by key players in this segment are ~15-20%. Margins
are higher in other hybrid seeds, as companies are able to save on royalty cost.
Cotton seed economics for KSCL
Costs
Royalty to Monsanto
Cost of Goods
Employee Cost
R&D Cost
Business Promotion
Admin and Selling
Margins
Sale Price
(INR/ Packet)
180
350
50
20
95
50
185
930
%
19
38
5
2
10
5
20
100
Comments
Large players with scale, enjoy discounts
from Monsanto
Labor is the most critical cost for seed
companies
Margins range from 15-20%
Frozen by Government
Source: Company, MOSL
14 March 2014
10

Kaveri Seed
KSCL has all success factors necessary for a seed company
Introduction of BT cotton hybrids
KSCL is one of the leading players in most of the key crops: cotton (17% market share),
Corn (~13% market share), Bajra (13% market share) and Rice (~9% market share).
KSCL has a wide distribution network of ~15,000 direct/indirect distributors (15 key
Indian states) and strong marketing of ~350 professionals on a pan India basis as compared
to 11,000 distributors 4 years ago, it also claims to have around 90,000 loyal production
growers and ~60,000 acres (across 12 different agro-climatic centres) under seed
production.
Its two key cotton seed brands christened 'Jaddoo' and 'Jackpot', introduced in FY10 has
tasted phenomenal success with KSCL's cotton seeds sales increasing from 0.5m packets
(~INR400m) in FY10 to ~6.5m packets (INR6.5b) in FY14, a value CAGR (4 years) of 90%.
It takes ~2-3 years to establish a new product in the market, given there has been no such
launch of any successful product by the competition, management is hopeful of continuing
its strong momentum in the cotton segment and continue to gain incremental market
share.
Key success factors for a seed company
There are four key factors which determine the success of a seed company such as
1) R&D strength, 2) Distribution and marketing skills, 3) ability to manage the external
environment and 4) Forecasting of demand and planning.
Key success factors
R&D strength
Strength in breeder seeds
Launch winning products
R&D Ability to continuously
refurbish existing product
portfolio
Wide product offering / Distribution and
Marketing skills
Broad product offering
Wide geographical Pan India
distribution and marketing
strength
Ability to create brand pull for
key products
Complex chain/ Ability to manage the
external environment/ Forecasting of
demand and planning
Protection of intellectual property
Navigating Government issues
(both state and central)
Regulatory and legal issues
Demand forecast for forthcoming
season
Production planning, management
of inventory system and
distribution strength
a) Strong R&D strengths
Kaveri has till date
filled 169 registrations
with PPA/ FRV
The key differentiating factor in the seed industry is company's R&D capabilities and
strength of its product pipeline. KSCL is in the process of phasing out older products
and replacing them with newer improved varieties with a view to maintaining its
strong positioning across key crops. Kaveri has till date filled 169 registrations with
PPA/ FRV, of which 48 (~28%) have managed to clear the DUD test, while ~14 (8.3%)
have been successfully registered. It also has ~34 products in pipeline, which provides
visibility for growth ahead.
14 March 2014
11

Kaveri Seed
Products in Pipeline
Corn
Rice
Jowar
Bajra
Tomato
Okra
Bottle Grourd
Ridge Gourd
Bitter Gourd
3
5
3
1
2
5
4
6
5
India PPA and FRV filling
No of fillings to date
DUD test cleared
% of filled
Registration
% of filled
FY10
100
NA
NA
FY11
140
20
14
NA
FY12
168
54
32
14
8.3
FY13
169
48
28
14
8.3
R&D spend over FY09-13 (INR m)
R&D spend of key seed majors (INR m)
R&D spend
FY11 FY12 FY13
92
90
236
52
62
87
133
147
158
152
173
168
72
83
100
% of sales
FY11 FY12 FY13
0.9
0.8
1.8
0.6
0.6
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.6
4.2
4.6
3.7
3.1
2.2
1.4
Rallis
PI Ind
Bayer Crop Science
Monsanto India
Kaveri Seeds
Source: Company, MOSL
Kaveris key brands across product categories
Type
Field Crop
Cotton
Maize
Rice
Millet
Sunflower
Vegetables
Tomato
Okra
Number of Brands
12
31
17
3
4
3
4
Key Brands
Jadoo, Jackpot, ATM, Singha, Barood, Bullet
Ekka, 3110, Bumper, KSO, Super 224m K55, 244
Sampurna, Chintu, Sleek
Super Boss, Fouzi
Sunkranti, Champ
KTH 104, KTH 204
Kaveri Nadia, Kaveri Leena
Source: Company, MOSL
KSCL spends 1.4%
of sales on R&D
b) One of the largest germplasm pool - Advantage position
Kaveri over the years have developed one of the largest germplasm bank one of the
key entry barriers in the business. It has access to leading research institutes /
universities such as ICRISAT, IRRI, CYMMIT etc for germplasm. It has over 600 acres of
dedicated research farms with varying agro climatic conditions, sofihisticated biotech,
Quality check, seeds technology labs with latest equipment and cold storage for
germplasm. It also has multi season trials, breeding and testing facilities across 57
trial centres across India.
Has created a niche for itself in the cotton segment
KSCL's cotton seeds
sales have grown at 90%
CAGR in the last 4 years
KSCL is one of the fastest growing seed companies in India, with revenue and net
profit CAGR of 65% and 71%, over FY11-14E. Its two key cotton seed brands christened
'Jaddoo' and 'Jackpot', introduced in FY08 has tasted phenomenal success with KSCL's
cotton seeds sales increasing from 0.5m packets (~INR400m) in FY10 to ~6.5m packets
(INR6.5b) in FY14E, a value CAGR (4years) of 90%.
12
14 March 2014

Kaveri Seed
Introduced in 2009, Jadoo started with a modest production of 15,000 packets. Less
than four years later, it has sold nearly 5 million packets as farmers lapped up the
seed that not only gave 20% better yield than other hybrids but could also withstand
excessive rain and drought situations.
KSCL's growth in cotton seeds over FY11-16 (INR m)
CAGR
27%
Sales of non-cotton seeds over FY11-16
CAGR
34%
CAGR
40%
CAGR
97%
Source: Company, MOSL
It takes ~2-3 years to establish a new product in the market, given there has been no
such launch of any successful product by the competition, management is hopeful of
continuing its strong momentum in the cotton segment and continue to gain
incremental market share.
b) Has a broad product portfolio
KSCL is one of the leading
players in most of the key
crops: cotton (17%
market share),
Corn (~13% market
share), Bajra (13% market
share) and Rice
(~9% market share)
The company's product portfolio includes hybrid seeds for cotton, corn, paddy, bajra,
sunflower, sorghum, tomato, okra, chilly and watermelon. KSCL is one of the leading
players in most of the key crops: cotton (17% market share), Corn (~13% market share),
Bajra (13% market share) and Rice (~9% market share). Its key brands are BT cotton
hybrids - Jaadoo, Jackpot; Bajra hybrid - North Bullet and Super Boss; Red Gram -
Sampada and Rice - Sampoorna. Kaveri is developing 12 new variants across corn,
rice, bajra and jowar and 22 variants across vegetables that are likely to be launched
in the next two or three years.
Characteristics across seeds lifecycle
First Year Hybrids
(1st-3rd year)
Value
Highest
Promotional expense
Very high
Ideal share in revenue mix
15-20%
Margins
Low
ROCE
Low
Proven/ Core Hybrids
(4th-9th years)
Medium
High
~60-70%
High
High
Mature Hybrids
(>9 years)
Lowest
Low to negligible
~15-20%
Medium
Medium
Source: Company, MOSL
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Kaveri Seed
Sales break-up FY14
Market share in key crops (FY14)
Source: Company, MOSL
Pan India distribution network
KSCL has a wide distribution network of ~15,000 direct/indirect distributors (15 key
Indian states) and strong marketing of ~350 professionals on a pan India basis as
compared to 11,000 distributors 4 years ago, it also claims to have around 90,000 loyal
production growers and ~60,000 acres (across 12 different agro-climatic centres) under
seed production. It also has ~57 out-reach trail centres and seven plants spread across
the country. It has 8 own plants spread across 10 key locations in India which has an
aggregate processing capacity of ~145 MT per hour. Kaveri has 26 warehouses at strategic
locations with combined storage space of ~500,000 sqft.
Historically, Kaveri has been primarily focused in southern and Central India, but over
the past few years it has expanded its geographical presence to include northern,
eastern and western markets too. KSCL plans to introduce new range of seeds for
these markets, which should allow it broaden its geographical reach. Kaveri tackles
that by setting up outreach centres where it talks with farmers to understand their
needs and also educate them about the company's new seed varieties, the best way
to use them as well as better farming practices. There are currently 57 such centres
across the country.
While the company has a dominant position in the south, the expanded distribution
has helped it make inroads into new markets such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West
Bengal and Odisha.
8 processing plants spread across key locations in India
Loyal grower network
~ 90,000 production growers
~ 60,000 acres under seed
production
Processing capabilities
8 own plants with a combined
processing capacity of ~ 145 tonnes
per hour
Modern equipment for pre-
cleaning, grading, cob drying,
storage, packing ĆLarge-scale
grow-out test (GOT) area
ĆSophisticated biotech, QC, seed
technology labs with the latest
equipment
Green houses for hybrid screening
Pan India warehouse network
26 warehouses with combined
storage space of ~500,000 sqft
Dehumidified, climate-controlled
godowns
Storage godowns of ~90,000 sqft
(cold) and ~37,000 sqft (dry heat)
Storage godowns can store ~ 8,300
MT
Source: Company, MOSL
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Kaveri Seed
Vision to become a leader in cotton segment
Increased penetration in AP and entry in newer markets to drive growth
Kaveri has 40% market share in AP driven by 60% market share in Guntur and Krishna
respectively. However it has only 25% market share in Varingal and Karimnagar.and 13%
in Adilabad thereby providing significant opportunities to improve market share thereby
driving growth.
Kaveri has 7% market share in Maharashtra and Gujarat where players like Nuziveedu,
Ajeet and Mayco have more than 20% market share proving huge opportunity for growth.
Around 50% revenues comes from Jadoo , 10% from Jackpot and ATM and balance from
singha , barood etc.
Kaveri introduced ATM in 2008 to tap Gujarat and North India markets, Given initial
success of ATM the company expects to double its sales in FY15E for ATM .
Higher inventory in the system for cotton has helped Kaveri to bring down its cost of
production by INR 25 per kg and also lower discounts in FY15 will lead to margin expansion.
Market share within AP
Improved penetration in AP to drive growth
Kaveri has very strong positioning in AP with more than 40% market share, thanks to
success of Jadoo and Jackpot. Since launch of Jadoo in 2008 the company has gained
60% market share in Guntur and Krishna each by gaining market share from large
players like Nuziveedu. It has 25% market share in Variangal and karimnagar where
Mayco is a leader with 30-40% market share. However in Adilabad Kaveri has close to
13% market share while nuziveedu has close to 35% market share which the
management expects to increase to 25% in next 2 years. We believe that Kaveri will
further gain market share in Variangal, Karimnagar and Adilabad (15-20% of AP market)
from Mayco and Nuziveedu thereby driving growth.
Source: Company, MOSL
Maharashtra and Gujarat - Next on the radar
Kaveri has close to 7% market share in Maharashtra and Gujarat where players like
Nuziveedu, Ajeet, Ankur and Mayco has more than 20% market share. We believe
that Maharashtra which is the largest market with 15m packets and Gujarat which has
size of 4m packets out of industry size of 41m packets will be the biggest driver of
growth over the long term. It has recently launched 2-3 hybrids for North India market
(4m packets) where the leader is Bio seed which is owed by DCM group with around
30-35% market share. We expect this strategy to bear fruits 2-3 years from now. The
company has planned 6 new hybrid to be launched and marketed in FY15E.
Sales of ATM to double in FY15E
While 50% of revenues comes from Jadoo only 10% each comes from ATM and Jackpot
and balance from Singha, Barood and Bullet. While Jadoo and Jackpot perform
extremely well in AP they have not been great success in Gujarat and North India to
due unfavourable climatic conditions (Lower rainfall). The company plans to
aggressive increase market share in Gujarat through ATM which is likely to double
their sales in FY15E thereby increasing their contribution from 10% to 20% of kaveris
cotton revenues. Kaveri sells different brands in different market Eg:- Jadoo and ATM
in Maharashtra, ATM in Gujarat, Jackpot in MP depending on the traits and climatic
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Kaveri Seed
conditions suiting them. Jadoo has trait of tolerant sucking pest while ATM can grow
in high rainfall and low rainfall scenario while Jackpot has very high yield better than
Jadoo and ATM but has low pest resistance.
Decline in cost of production and discounts to improve margins
Net realization to expand
from INR750 to INR 800
per packet in FY15E
Kaveri had 5.5mn packets as inventory at end of FY14. However the inventory in the
industry stands at around 20mn packets at end of FY14. Kaveri plans to produce another
6mn packets for FY15E , while the industry production for next year has come off
significantly . This has helped Kaveri to negotiate with farmers and bring down its
cost of production by INR 25 per packet. Also the company had received INR 2.4bn as
advances which the company expects to be at INR 2bn in FY15, thereby leading to
lower cash discounts to be offered to distributors. The distributor margins per packet
in FY14 stood at INR 140 +50 additional discounts per packet and hence net realization
stood at INR750. The company expects to achieve net realization of INR 800 per packet
due to reduction in additional discounts in FY15E. Due to these reasons the
management expects margin expansion of atleast 100bps in cotton segment in FY15E.
RR Flex technology can drive growth further
The industry can multiply
by 5x due to higher yield
RR Flex offers as
compared to BT
Monsanto current technology of BT is likely to be replaced by RR Flex (BG 2 RR). RR
flex has gone through RCGM and is currently stuck at GEAC level. Post approval of
GEAC only the field trials can begin. However if this gets approved the realization of
per packet of cotton seed can increase by INR 150-200 per packet. Some industry
experts believe that the industry can multiply by 5x due to higher yield RR Flex offers
as compared to BT.
Cotton market share
Source: Company, MOSL
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Kaveri Seed
Corn - Lower penetration provides huge opportunity
Higher share from single cross to drive profitability
India is the 6th largest producer and 5th largest consumer of corn with major demand
coming form animal feed, starch and human consumption which continues to be robust.
Yield for 2 and 3 way crossing is lower than single cross. Around 50% of the industry today
is single cross.
Single cross seeds are sold at INR 300 per kg and 2 way and 3 way crossed are sold at 80-
110 per kg.
Margins in single cross are to the tune of 60% as compared to 30-40% for 2 way and 3 way
crossing seeds.
Corn Industry at an inflection point
India is the world's 6th
largest producer and 5th
largest consumer of
maize
Maize is one of the most widely grown crops globally. In Production items it ranks 1st
in the world, followed by wheat and rice. On the consumption side, the majority of its
use is as animal feed; followed by industrial use in producing starch and other
industrial products; and in some parts, food.
India is the world's 6th largest producer and 5th largest consumer of maize. The nation's
eight million maize farmers produced approximately 22 million tons of a maize crop
from 8.5 million hectares in 2012-13. Over the recent decade, as farmers increasingly
chose maize hybrid seeds, maize production in India has witnessed a quantum leap.
The country is witnessing a maize revolution, as farmers are choosing maize hybrid
seeds on 52 per cent of India's maize areas.
Maize demand is forecast
to grow by 36 per cent in
the next four years
touching 30 MT in 2017
Farmers choosing maize hybrid seeds have contributed to increasing maize production
by approximately 93 per cent in the last 11 years (22.50 million tons in 2012-13 from
11.15 million tons in 2002- 03). Yet, India's maize yields continue to be half of the
world average, with India's yield at 2.47 tons per hectare in comparison with the
world average yield of 5.14 tons per hectare. In next 5 and 10 years, India's domestic
demand for maize is forecasted to outstrip supply. The country's maize demand is
forecast to grow by 36 per cent in the next four years touching 30 MT in 2017, and
double within the next nine years to touch about 44 MT by 2022. If India can enable
her farmers to raise maize yields, its unique geographical advantage can enable it to
emerge as a leading global exporter to meet the needs of South East Asia.
What is single cross in corn hybrids?
Corn hybrids are developed using inbred lines as parents. Inbreds are pure lines
and are weak in productivity. Let us say there are 4 different inbreds A, B, C and D.
AXB
(A X B) X C
(A X B) X (C X D)
is a single cross
is a three way cross
is a double cross
As the inbreds are weak, single cross hybrid seed production yields have been low
and hence and economically not viable. The breeders then came up with the idea
of 3 way cross and double cross using (A X B) single cross hybrid as female (Seed
parent). Since the seed is produced on vigorous parent, the yield are good and
economically viable.But in the process they had to compromise on yield of final (3
way or double) hybrid because single cross hybrids are far superior than others.
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Kaveri Seed
Currently around 50-60%
of industry is single cross
From early 1990s the maize breeders have developed some inbreds with better
vigour and productivity. Now a days these inbreds are used to produce single cross
hybrids which are economically viable. Farmers prefer single cross hybrid seed
though it is 80-100% more expensive than others. The cost of seed in total agriculture
is small and hence there is no resistance. Currently around 50-60% of industry is
single cross.
In earlier years the cost for single cross corn seed was INR 30 per kg and 8kg of seeds
were required to cover 1 acre leading to total cost of INR 240 per acre. However this
cost has not escalated to INR 120 per kg taking total cost to 960 per acre for corn. Single
crossing is more expensive than 3 way or 2 way crossing as when the male pollen is
inserted in female the former plant becomes very weak and is wasted.
Single cross are more expensive than 2 way or 3 way crossing hybrid corn seed as
Single cross corn is high yielding as traits will not get diluted. Also single cross is very
sensitive and can give very high yield in guaranteed environment conditions. The
current selling price of single cross hybrid corn is around INR 200/kg as compared to
80-110/kg for 2 way and 3 way crossing hybrid corn seeds.
Corn market share
Kaveri has 33 hybrids
of which 50% are
single cross
Source: Company, MOSL
Increase share of rabi corn seeds (Single cross) to lead to margin expansion
Share of rabi crop has
increase from 15% in 2008
to 35% currently in
volume terms and 50% in
value terms
Kaveri has 33 hybrids of corn like Ekka, K 50, Super 224, 244, K55 to name a few.
Around 50% of them currently are single cross. And almost 6-7 brands in corn contribute
around 50% of Kaveris corn revenues. However the reason for having such a wide
range of hybrids is because of different corn seeds being used in kharif and Rabi
season. Rabi corn seeds are largely single crossed and are sold low in volumes and
high in value and are more profitable. While Kharif corn seeds are 2 way and 3 way
crossed seeds and are more in volume and lower in value, hence lesser profitable. In
2008 around 85% of the corn sales were in kharif season while now it contributes
around 65%. However currently Rabi contributes around 35% of volumes and 50% of
value and Kharif contributes 65% of volumes and 50% of value. We believe that with
increase in Rabi hybrid corn share the share of single cross is likely to increase thereby
leading to significant increase in margins for Kaveri in the corn segment.
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Kaveri Seed
All India trend in maize production
Maize
1990-91
2000-01
2011-12
2012-13
Production (MT)
Area (ha)
Kharif
Rabi
Total
5.9
8.9
-
8.9
6.6
9.8
1.7
11.6
8.3
15.1
4.8
19.9
8.5
17.0
5.5
22.5
Source: National Council of Applied Economic Research, Ministry of Agriculture, MOSL
Rice- Huge opportunity in the offering...
Rice in India is
~42mhectares, while area
under hybrid seeds is
only ~2m hectares, while
hybrid seed penetration
is ~5%
Rice is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's population. The
total crop area under Rice in India is ~42mhectares, while area under hybrid seeds is
only ~2m hectares, while hybrid seed penetration is ~5%. Till now none of the players
have been able to make a major break-through in the segment. While in China hybrid
rice is 65% of the market, most of the current hybrid seeds have drawbacks such as
cooked hybrid rice become soggy, has distinct smell, does not retain original taste
etc. Bayer Crop Science is currently the market leader in this segment with a market
share of >50%, while other players like pioneer have 15-20% , Nuziveedu have ~5-6%
and Kaveri have 9% market share. Most of the players are working hard to crack this
market given the potential of the market in this segment.
... to target government subsidy business
Kaveri has notified 2 new
hybrid namely KPH 371
and KPH 199 to enter
subsidy business
Kaveri currently has portfolio of 6 hybrid seeds and has recently got notification for
its 2 new hybrid namely KPH 371 and KPH 199. Notification is precursor to participation
in the subsidy business. While 80% of the market of rice is in Eastern India the company
plans to sell it to state government and participate in the subsidy business.
Rice market share
9
Source: Company, MOSL
Outlook for vegetables
Indian seed industry has till now had high dependence on cotton (~40% of the market),
with cotton penetration already at ~95% and SSR close to optimum, going forward,
growth in cotton segment is likely to be muted ~3-5%. Hence, industry growth would
be increasingly led by other crops, which currently have low hybrid seed penetration.
Consequently, companies are increasingly diversifying their portfolio from cash crops
like cotton to cereals and even vegetables.At end of FY13, Kaveri had over 100 hybrids,
including 10 varieties of cotton hybrids, 25 of corn and 13 of rice.
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Kaveri Seed
Hybrid vegetable seed is one of the fastest growing industries in India. India is the
second largest producer of vegetables in the world, next only to China, with an
estimated production of about 130mt from an area of 8m hectares. India produces
approximately 15% of the world's vegetables from approximately 2.8% of the total
land. The market for hybrid vegetable seeds is rapidly growing in the country. Today
the hybrid vegetable seed industry in India is estimated to be INR15-20b. Tomato
occupies nearly 20% of this, followed closely by okra and cabbage.
Largest vegetable crops in India
Crop
Potato
Onion
Tomato
Eggplant
Tapioca
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Okra
Peas
Sweat Potato
Others
Total
Area
Production
1,828
34,391
834
13,565
599
11,149
600
10,378
280
9,623
310
6,870
349
6,532
432
4,528
348
2,916
124
1,120
2,275
28,006
7,979
129,078
Source: Ministry of Agriculture
Hybrid seed penetration in India
Source: National Seed Association of India
New initiative - KIPL
KSCL's also has a microteck division through which it markets micro-nutrients and
organic bio-pesticides and fungicides that help boost crop yields. In FY12, KSCL formed
a 100% subsidiary christened Kexveg India Private Limited (KIPL) for producing high
value exotic Indian vegetables and European herbs for domestic and export markets.
KIPL has entered into commercial cultivation of these products in specially designed
and built green houses.
During FY13 it started cultivating a five hectare area as a pilot project near Hyderabad.
It is now taking steps to expand the farm by another five hectares to cultivate crops
like green and coloured capsicum, hybrid tomato, cherry tomato, parthenocarpic
cucumber, leafy and iceberg lettuce, basil and other culinary herbs like chives, sage,
tarragon, Rosemary, oregano, cilantro, and parsley to cater to European tastes. Apart
from this, the company is growing a full range of Indian vegetables in its farms under
drip irrigation. Vegetables segment is an INR15-20b market, increasing economic
development and prospects of entry of large MNC retail chains, the demand for such
products is likely to increase sharply.
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Kaveri Seed
Macro opportunity is huge
Macro opportunity for Indian seed industry is huge given factors such as 1) rising population
and shrinking per capita land availability, 2) Indian crop yields being among the lowest in
the world and 3) low penetration of hybrids across key crops.
Indian seed industry is the fifth largest in the world and posted a 14% CAGR (5-year),
which is more than double the international growth rate.
Passage of Food Security Act could be a trigger for seed industry as it would lead to higher
discretionary income in the hands of farmers.
While hybrid seed penetration remains low at ~25%, industry has had significant success
in few select crops like cotton (~95% penetration) etc. It is now aiming to mimic the
success across other key crops like rice (5% penetration), which have low penetration.
Indian seed industry is one of the fastest growing worldwide
Organized Indian seed industry is ~25 years old and has witnessed unprecedented
growth in the last seven years. Most of large seed companies have been promoted by
first generation entrepreneurs. Majority of these promoters have a technical
educational background in agriculture or are technocrats /agriculture scientists. Seed
industry is primarily concentrated in Andhra Pradesh, as its climate is most suitable
for this industry. Intensifying competition, increasing R&D costs and the complexity
of biotechnology is leading to increased consolidation of the Indian seed industry.
Industry structure and economic dynamics are attractive given a) industry has high
entry barriers, b) endogenous demand which enables companies to successfully adopt
differentiation and segmentation strategies, c) low capex intensity, working capital
requirements moderate for established brands - enabling high FCF and ROCE.
The Indian seed industry is the fifth largest market in the world accounting for around
4.4% of global seed trade. The present size of the Indian seed industry is estimated at
around Rs7,000crore with a production of around 40 million quintals of variouskinds of
seeds (Source: ASSOCHAM report). In India, hybridseeds account for around 20% of
the total seed production; of which cotton has the biggest share followed by rice at
15%, wheat at 10% and vegetables at 10%. The production of hybrids needs to be
promoted aggressively to improve productivity especially in crops like rice, maize
and vegetables. A recent survey by Aasocham on the size and growth of domestic
seed market estimates that the total seed production of India will reach to 63 million
quintals by 2015 from the current level of 40 million quintals. The major contributors
to the next leg of growth of the industry is expected to come from corn, paddy and
vegetables.
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Kaveri Seed
India - 5th largest seed market in the world (FY12, USD b)
Indian seed industry has been growing at a fast pace (USD b)
Source: Company, MOSL
Structure of domestic seed industry
Indian seed industry comprises of ~14 state seed corporations (SSCs) and two national
level public sector corporations - National Seed Corporation and State Farm
Corporation of India. Public sector companies are confined to certified seeds of high
volume and low value products such as pulses, rice and wheat.
The private sector is primarily focused on high value hybrid and GM seeds such as
cotton, cereals and vegetables. It consists of ~20 large players (including four MNCs)
which have annual seed revenues of >USD20m and pan-India marketing/distribution
footprints. Private sector also includes an estimated ~300-500 regional players engaged
(more often than not) in distribution of seeds in the local region.
Structure of the industry
~ 20 National
Players
Source: Company, MOSL
Growth drivers of Indian seed industry
With a population of 1.21 billion, India is the second-most populated country in the
world. It is estimated that the population of the country will grow to 1.7 billion by
2050, increasing the demand for food grains. The per capita income of Indians (at
current price) has increased at a CAGR of 15.92% from Rs38,084 in 2008-09 to Rs68, 757 in
2012-13. With the increase in income levels, the consumption of food grains and
vegetables has also increased manifold. The government has allowed 100% FDI in
agriculture sector in development and production of seeds and planting material,
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Kaveri Seed
floriculture, horticulture, and cultivation of vegetables and mushrooms. This will
attract foreign investment in the Indian agriculture sector, leading to higher
investment in R&D and production of high quality, high yielding varieties and hybrids.
The shift to hybrids has helped to boost the yield of food grains from 1,023 kg/hectare
in 1980-81 to 1,993 kg/hectare in 2011-12. Over the years, there has been a steep
growth in the adoption of hybrids due to their higher yields. Further, the government
has been playing a proactive role to promote the cultivation of hybrids by providing a
subsidy.
Given low penetration of hybrid seed, macro opportunity is huge
Macro opportunity for seed industry is huge given factors such as 1) rising population
and shrinking per capita land availability, 2) Indian crop yields being among the lowest
in the world and 3) low usage and penetration of hybrids across key crops. As the
arable land area worldwide is stagnant and world population is rising fast leading to
increasingly lower hectare/person, increasing crop yields is the most credible way to
address the emerging global food conundrum.
Use of hybrid seeds essential to increase yields
Indian crop yields among the lowest in world
Source: Bloomberg, MOSL
Almost ~70-75% of crop area is still under varietal seeds (re-used old seeds), with
negligible hybrid penetration. Moreover, penetration of hybrid seeds among crops is
very low.
Almost ~60% of crop area untouched by hybrids, hybrid penetration is low
Source: Company, MOSL
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Kaveri Seed
The domestic seeds industry has changed significantly over the last decade, with
farmers increasing the amount of purchased seed, instead of using seed saved from
the previous harvest. Since 2003, the industry has been further shaped by the
introduction of genetically modified (GM) seeds in cotton. In India, with the exception
of cotton, government has not allowed GM seeds for any other crop. Worldwide, for
most key crops like soya, cotton, corn and canola (mustard oil), GM penetration is
very high. There are broadly three kinds of seeds: 1) varietal seeds (old replanted
seeds), 2) hybrid seeds and 3) genetically modified seeds.
Indian hybrid seed industry was valued at ~INR100b in FY13. Cotton accounted for
~40% of the market followed by corn (14%) and vegetables (20%). We expect the
domestic seed industry to post a CAGR of ~12-15% over FY12-15E aided by increased
hybrid penetration across key crops through shift from varietal to hybrid seeds and
increase in usage of seeds per acre.
Crop-wise hybrid industry value break-up FY13 (INR b)
Source: Assocham India
Crop-wise competition details
(In Million)
Cotton
Rice
Bajra
Corn
Vegetables
Other crops
Total Seeds
40,000
6,000
6,000
16,000
20,000
12,000
100,000
Hectare
under cultivation
40.0
12.1
6.0
6.0
16.0
20.0
12.0
100.0
Source: Company, MOSL
44.0
11.5
8.5
65.0
%
Hybrid Seed
Penetration (%)
95%
5%
50%
55%
20%
Key Players
Nuziveedu (~22%); MM (11%); Kaveri (~17%),
Ajeeth (10%),Ankur (10%)
Bayer Crop Science (~40%); Kaveri (6%);
Pioneer (15-20%); Rallis; Nuziveedu
Kaveri (13%) , Nuziveedu ,JK Agri
Monsanto (18%); Du Pont (18%);
Syngenta (12.5%);Kaveri (14%); Nuziveedu (12%)
Nunhems (subsidiary of Bayer Crop Science),
Kaveri, Nuziveedu
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Kaveri Seed
Indian seed industry - High growth phase ahead
In India, a limited generation system, which is characterized by three generations -
breeder, foundation and certified seeds, is used for seed multiplication. The details
of the production/distribution of each generation since 2006 are provided below:
Production/availability of seed (MT)
Year
FY06
FY07
FY08
FY09
FY10
FY11
FY12
FY13
Breeder seed
6,865
7,382
9,196
9,441
10,604
11,921
12,727
10,282
Foundation seed
Certified quality seed
74,000
1,405,000
79,654
1,481,800
85,254
1,943,100
96,274
2,503,500
180,817
2,797,200
180,640
3,213,592
222,681
3,536,200
161,700
3,285,800
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, MOSL
The production data shown in the table above indicates that the Indian seed market
has entered a period of high growth. Historically, the Indian seed market had been
dominated by public sector players. Private companies began playing an active role in
the industry after the introduction of the Seed Policy in 1988.
Increase in Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) to drive growth
Seed Replacement Rate is the percentage of area sown out of total area of crop planted
in the season by using certified/quality seeds other than the farm saved seed. It is
scientifically proved that the quality of seed deteriorates from one generation to the
next generation in case of farm saved seed.
Ideally seed should be replaced every year for hybrids and every three to four years
for non-hybrids. However, in practice seed is replaced less often especially in case of
open pollinated crops. As a consequence, seed replacement rates are lower than
recommended for different crop varieties. It also varies from state to state. In case of
Andhra Pradesh, the SRR for paddy is ~82% against all India average of ~25%. The ideal
rate for SRR needs to be 30% for self-pollinated crops, 50% for cross-pollinated crops
and 100% for hybrid crops.
SRR crop files for various state and national average
SRR
Paddy
wheat
Maize
jowar
Bajra
Sunflower
National average %
33
25
50
26
63
43
Highest SRR state
%
AP
82
Maharashtra
43
Karnataka
100
AP
65
Gujarat
100
AP
100
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, MOSL
While SRR amongst hybrids in crops like Cotton, Sunflower and Bajra is 100%, the SRR
in OPVs is suboptimal. With the entry of private players in this area with significant
R&D investments post PPV and FR act enactment the market for these crops is likely
to grow significantly going forward. Maize is another crop where SRR is low in certain
areas like Rajastan, the largest state with maize production. Hence with right kind of
hybrids these markets can grow exponentially.
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Kaveri Seed
SRR in Paddy and Maize improving (%)
Source: Company, MOSL
Massive entry barriers makes business model exciting
1) Germplasm is one of the biggest entry barriers for a Seed business. Germplasm is
scarce and in order to be successful in developing in new products an extensive
germplasm bank is critical for long term success of a seed company.
2) Each seed possess certain traits and hence is tailor made depending on geography,
type of land, different weather conditions etc. Hence, learning curve progress by
first movers serves as great competitive advantage, which creates entry barriers
of new entrants.
3) The process - to get a seed with desirable traits (like higher output, lower water
intake, pest resistant), breeding is to be done between two parent seeds wherein
desirable traits are extracted and injected in the new seed. This sounds simple
but the problem is while extracting good traits, undesirables also come along
with it. This is only known once the seed is sowed and the output is realized but
the full year is wasted as the next sowing can only happen a year after. Hence,
after 5-6 such years, a seed with desirable trait is developed.
4) Initially when a new seed is launched farmers buy them and experiment them on
a smaller part of their land. Hence for initial years it's a push product. Its takes at
least 2 yrs for farmers to get confidence in the product while three years to reach
the desired scale. Hence it takes total of 8-9 years for a seed to actually start
generating meaningful revenues and profits for the Company.
5) Unlike Pesticides and Fertilizers where increasing the capacity can directly lead
to higher output, Seeds are to be sowed in land to multiply. This acts as another
entry barrier because even after coming out with a blockbuster seed, you need to
be able to produce it. Hence access to large number of contractual farmers and
land bank is a major entry barrier.
Favorable government schemes
Farm credit:
The government has substantially improved the availability of farm
credit and increased Minimum Support Price (MSP) to improve investment in the
farm sector. The annual agriculture credit target for the financial year 2013-14 has
been fixed at Rs7,00,000 crore against the target of Rs5,75,000 crore in 2012-13 (source:
IBEF)
26
14 March 2014

Kaveri Seed
Planned expenditure:
The total planned expenditure for the Department of
Agriculture has increased by 18.01% from Rs17,123 crore in 2011-12 to Rs20,208 crore
in 2012-13.
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY):
Under RKVY, an outlay of Rs9,954 crore and
Rs2,250 crore have been proposed for mobilizing higher investment in agriculture
and the National Food Security Mission respectively.
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK):
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has
created a network of 630 KVKs in the country to facilitate farmers’ access to
agricultural technology generated by the National Agricultural Research System
(NARS).
Pulses villages:
The government has launched an initiative to spend USD65.1
million to promote 60,000 ‘pulses villages’ in rain-fed areas for increasing crop
productivity and strengthening market linkages.
Water shed programme:
To provide relief to small and marginal farmers especially
in drought prone and ecologicallystressed regions, the allocation for the Integrated
Watershed Programme has been increased to INR5,387 crore from INR3,050 crore.
Passage of Food Security Act could be a key trigger for seed industry
The Bill shall extend upto 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban
population, thus covering nearly 67% of the total population.
Priority households will be entitled to 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month at
prices not exceeding INR3, INR2 and INR1 per kg for rice, wheat and coarse grains
respectively.
However, households covered under the Antoyadya Anna Yojana (AAY) (poorest
of poor households) shall be entitled to 35 kgs of foodgrains per household per
month at the prices stated above.
The subsidized prices of foodgrains will be fixed for a period of three years and
will be subject to revision thereafter but in no case shall exceed the minimum
support price of foodgrains.
Every pregnant women and lactating mother shall be entitled to:
Free meals during pregnancy and upto six months after the child birth
Maternity benefit not less than INR6,000 to be given in instalments (except
Central and State Government employees)
This would necessitate sharp increase in per capita production at lower cost, which
can only be possible through use of latest technology and innovations, providing
a big boost to seed companies.
14 March 2014
27

Kaveri Seed
KSCL's business cycle and trade dynamics
1: Developing a seed and getting it ready for test
marketing
Seed processing chain
It takes ~7-8 years to develop a seed in India. The
process is highly time consuming and labor
intensive, though not very capex intensive.
Advances in seed technology, like marker assisted
breeding, allow companies to lower this cycle by
couple of years. Domestic industry is likely to
witness increased usage of the same.
It involves breeding seeds with desirable traits and
testing the results. For which seeds are sown at the
start of the season and harvested at the end of
season.
Since any modifications can only be undertaken in
the next season, the process takes several years.
Once a successful hybrid seed is selected - it has to
be again subjected to multi-locational trials, larger
companies do it simultaneously.
Next step involves seed production for selected
hybrids in mini-kits for test marketing.
Stages of product development
2: Marketing of seeds and supply chain
Initially for a new product companies have to resort
to push marketing and convince farmers for trying
their product.
At this stage companies have to undertake major
promotional expense and offer high distributor
margins.
Once a product is proven (2-3 seasons of consistent
performance), it becomes a pull product, for which
The marketing channel adopted by most seed
companies is:
Seed Distributor - Dealer - Retailer -
Farmer.
Companies need to have a wide geographical reach
in order to grow and expand product range.
3: Trade dynamics
Marketing of registered seed is a real challenge
given inventory management has to be done 1-2
year in advance.
Companies typically resort to contract
manufacturing of seeds by leasing land from
farmers and offering them fixed returns.
Companies touch point in the chain is typically the
seed distributors, who typically pay 20-50%
(depending on the strength of the brand/ company)
advance to seed companies 3-6 months before the
start of season.
Hence most of the large seed companies enjoy low
to negative working capital cycle.
4. Product lifecycle of seeds
While it takes ~7-12 years to develop a successful
and proven seed, which has significant pull
advantage, typically the window for cashing the
same is often limited to 3-6 years and has faces key
challenges.
Risks include cheap imitation by competitors/
emergence of more superior products with better
product attributes.
Another key risk is ability to scale up to meet
increased demand as production of seeds is
constrained by availability of contract land and
geographical reach.
28
14 March 2014

Kaveri Seed
M&A activity to be a key driver for the sector
Top 10 seed companies control ~67% of the world market
Globally, top 10 seed companies control ~67% of the world market. While some are well-
entrenched in India, large MNCs are yet to establish their presence.
Intensifying competition, increasing R&D costs and complex biotechnology are leading to
increased consolidation of the Indian seed industry, which should positively benefit some
of the leading players in India.
Over the past few years, industry witnessed hectic M&A activity as key players attempted
to get a head start and fill up their product lines, and acquisitions were at rich valuations
of ~10-16x EBITDA.
We expect hectic M&A activity and strategic partnerships to lead to increased
consolidation in the sector and be a key industry theme over the next 2-4 years.
Globally, seed industry is highly consolidated
Top 10 seed companies control ~67% of the global market. Many of the leading global
MNC players like Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, Bayer Crop Science etc are well-
entrenched in the country .Due to varied agro-climatic conditions and natural
resources, India is turning into an R&D hub. Several domestic companies have emerged
as key winners in the hybrid seed segment by leveraging their strengths in labor
intensive hybrid breeding, ability to adapt to local conditions and distribution
strengths. Intensifying competition, increasing R&D costs and complex biotechnology
are leading to increased consolidation of the Indian seed industry, which would benefit
some of the leading players in India.
Since 1985, global industry has turned highly consolidated
Company
Pioneer
Sandoz
DeKalb
Upjohn-Asgrow
Limagrain
Shell Nickerson
Takii
Ciba Geigy
Vander Have
Sub Total
Global seed market
1985
735
290
201
200
180
175
175
152
150
2,258
18,000
Glabal Seed share (%)
4.1
1.6
1.1
1.1
1.0
1.0
1.0
0.8
0.8
12.5
100.0
Company
Pioneer
Novartis
Limagrain
Advanta
Seminis
Takii
Sakata
KWS
DeKalb
Sub Total
Global seed market
1996
1,500
900
650
460
375
320
300
255
250
5,010
30,000
Glabal Seed share (%)
5.0
3.0
2.2
1.5
1.3
1.1
1.0
0.9
0.8
16.7
100.0
14 March 2014
29

Kaveri Seed
Recent M&A deals
Recently, industry witnessed hectic M&A activities like Groupe Limagrain's acquisition
of Century Seeds Pvt Ltd (vegetable seeds) and Bisco Bio Sciences (corn seeds) at EV/
EBITDA of 12-20x.
Key domestic M&A and strategic investments over the past few years
Date
Nov-12
Acquirer
Groupe Limagrain's
Groupe Limagrain's
Rallis India
Groupe Limagrain
Krishidhan Seeds
Advanta India
Target
Century Seeds Pvt Ltd (CSPL)
Bisco Bio Sciences
Metahelix Life Sciences
Avesthagen
Summit Partners
Crosbyton Seed
Deal
(USD mn)
~27
Note
All cash deal ~USD25-27m, CSPL was a focused
vegetable seed company
Acquired a 53.5% stake in the India-based
agriculture biotechnology company
Acquired a 51% stake in the India-based seed
company
Acquired 16.7% stake in India-based seeds
company
Acquired the US-based seed company to
enhance market position in hybrid sorghum
planting seed products
Acquired the cotton seed business of India-
based Nandi & Nagarjuna Seeds
Acquired a stake (undisclosed) in both
the India-based seed companies
Acquired ~80% stake in the company
Acquired the sunflower breeding business in
the US
Acquired the US-based company to
strengthen presence in the sorghum grain
market in the US and Mexico
Acquired the India-based vegetable seed
company
Acquired the rice, sunflower, sorghum and
pearl millet business in India, Pakistan and
Philippines
Parent company acquired an 11% stake in the
Indian subsidiary to delist it from the bourses
Acquired a controlling stake in the Australia-
based wheat seed company
Acquired the India-based vegetable seed
company
Acquired the India-based vegetable seed
company
Acquired the India-based vegetable seed
company
Acquired the India-based integrated field
crop seed company
Source: Merger Market, Venture Intelligence
Dec-10
Oct-10
Apr-10
Feb-10
22
15
30
13
Jun-09
Jan-09
Dec-08
Jun-08
Mar-08
Pioneer Hi-Bred
(Dupont)
Nuziveedu
Nuziveedu Seeds
Advanta India
Advanta India
Nandi Seeds &
Nagarjuna Seeds
Yaaganti Seeds &
Pravadhan Seeds
Blackstone
Limagrain
(US sunflower seeds)
Garrison & Townsend
8
5
50
NA
11
Jan-08
Dec-07
Advanta India
Devgen
Unicorn Seeds
Monsanto
13
26
Dec-07
Nov-07
Jun-07
Apr-07
Mar-07
Syngenta AG
Advanta India
Advanta India
Advanta India
Avesthagen &
Groupe Limagrain
Avesthagen &
Groupe Limagrain
Syngenta India
Long Reach Plant Breeders
Golden Seeds
Green Seeds
65
11
NA
12
Cee Kay Seeds
Swagath Seeds
NA
NA
Mar-07
14 March 2014
30

Kaveri Seed
Initiate coverage with a 'Buy'
Market share gains to drive growth
We estimate KSCL to register revenue CAGR of ~29% over FY14-16E, primarily led by ~27%
CAGR in cotton seeds and ~40% CAGR in maize seeds. We expect Kaveri growth in cotton
seeds to be driven by increase in market share in AP and entry into newer untapped
markets.
EBITDA margins are likely to increase 150bp from 22.0% in FY14 to 23.5% in FY16E. EBITDA
margins for cotton stand at 17-18% as compared to non cotton at 23-25%. Higher inventory
in the system for cotton in FY14 has helped Kaveri to bring down its cost of production by
INR 25 per kg , also lower discounts in FY15 and increased contribution from single cross
hybrid corn will lead to margin expansion.
Sales Returns do take place in seed business due to reasons like excess inventory or unhappy
distributor / farmer. Kaveri as part of prudence accounting practice registers sales net of
returns to the extent of 20% in Q1.
Given the strong growth in cotton seeds segment driven by market share gain
complimented by stable margins we expect the company to grow its profitability at 39%
CAGR over FY14-16E.
With major capex behind and balance having a cash of INR 1.5bn at end of FY13 the company
plans to increase its dividend payout to 25% over next few years which should lead to re
rating of the stock.
Expect revenue CAGR of ~29% over FY14-16E
We estimate KSCL to register revenue CAGR of ~29% over FY14-16E, primarily led by
~27% CAGR in cotton seeds and ~40% CAGR in maize seeds. We expect non-cotton
revenues to post a CAGR of 34%, while micronutrients to register a CAGR of 20%.
Cotton, as a percentage of overall revenues, is likely to remain stable at ~65%.
Cotton segment revenue trend
CAGR
27%
Non cotton segment revenue trend
CAGR
34%
CAGR
40%
CAGR
97%
Source: Company, MOSL
EBITDA to post a CAGR of 33% over FY14-16E
We assume KSCL's EBITDA to increase from INR2.3b in FY14 to INR4.1b in FY16E, a
CAGR of 33%. EBITDA margins are likely to increase 150bp from 22.0% in FY14 to 23.5%
in FY16E. EBITDA margins for cotton stand at 17-18% as compared to non cotton at 25-
30% primarily due to improved margins in cotton driven by reduction in cost of
production, lower discounts and higher growth in high margin corn and rice segments.
14 March 2014
31

Kaveri Seed
EBITDA movement over FY11-16E
Source: Company, MOSL
Expect net profit growth of 33% over FY14-16E
KSCL treats its income as agriculture income and hence has a tax rate of ~5-6%. Most
of the seed companies refer to Supreme Court's ruling in case of Monsanto as the
basis for their treatment. Given the strong growth in cooton seeds segment driven by
market share gain complimented by stable margins we expect the company to grow
its profitability at 33% CAGR over FY14-16E.
PAT growth trend over FY11-16E
CAGR
33%
CAGR
73%
Source: Company, MOSL
Sales' Return- a normal phenomenon
Sales Returns do take place in seed business due to reasons like excess inventory or
unhappy distributor / farmer. Sales returns to the extent of 10% is considered normal
in the industry and anything above that is alarming. Kaveri as part of prudence
accounting practice registers sales net of returns to the extent of 20% in Q1 . If sales
returns are less than the estimated amount, the difference shows up in revenue and
is recorded in the subsequent quarter.
Strong brand pull ensures robust working capital cycle
Seeds is an asset light business model but is working capital intensive business. The
inventory of the seeds needs to be planned atleast 2 years in advance by forecasting
the demand which depends of success of a product. Kaveri collects money in advance
from its distributors given the strong demand for its products Jadoo and Jackpot.
Kaveri gets 30% of its revenues as advance from farmers in January of every year and
14 March 2014
32

Kaveri Seed
the balance in the first quarter when the product is delivered. The company provides
trade/volume discount in case of advance payment. The inventory might appear
higher at the year end due to pile up before the start of the season and comes down
significantly post Q1 and hence the right way is to measure on September end basis.
In case of excess inventory kaveri stores the seeds in its own cold storage which can
be used next year and also has flexibility to cut down its production for next year in
advance.
Dividend Payout - on a rise to lead to P/E expansion
Dividend payout
expected to increase
from 20% to 25%
Due to significant growth and capex / working capital requirements, Company has
been paying around 10% of its profits as dividend. However with major capex behind
and balance having a cash of INR 1.5bn at end of FY13 the company plans to increase
its dividend payout to 25% over next few years which should lead to re rating of the
stock.
Dividend payout on an increasing trend
Source: Company, MOSL
14 March 2014
33

Kaveri Seed
Valuation and View: Initiate coverage with 'Buy'
We value the company at
13x FY16E EPS to arrive at
target price of INR 730 on
the stock
Company is one of the leading seed players in India with a wide and diversified
product range. Given its R&D and distribution strengths, it is well-placed to benefit
from the large macro opportunities in the sector. Industry structure and economic
dynamics are attractive -- entry barriers are high, demand endogenous, capex intensity
low, working capital requirements low, leading to high FCF and RoCE. Given that the
seed industry only has ~25% penetration and ~30% participation by private players,
the macro growth outlook looks attractive. Industry growth prospects would lead to
continued M&A interest by leading MNCs and large domestic players, which could
further boost valuations of select seed companies.
We expect the company to increase its dividend payout ratio from current levels of
~20% in FY13 to 25% in FY16E. Given its R&D and distribution strengths, company is
well-placed to benefit from the large macro opportunities in the sector. Over FY14-
16E, KSCL is likely to post a revenue growth of ~29.4% and net profit growth of ~32.8%.
It trades at a PE of 12.6x/9.5x FY15E/FY16E EPS. Initiate coverage with a 'Buy' valuing
the stock at 13x FY16E earnings, arriving at a target price of INR730.
Revenue estimates over FY14-16E
YE March (INR m)
Seeds
Cotton
Growth %
Maize
Growth %
Bajra
Growth %
Rice
Growth %
Others
Growth %
Total seeds revenue
Growth %
Micro nutrients
Growth %
Kex Veg division
Growth %
Total revenues
Growth %
FY11
854
620
230
96
330
2130
207
0
2,337
FY12
1,551
81
920
48
300
30
139
46
580
76
3,490
64
235
14
0
3,724
59
FY13
4,200
171
1,250
36
330
10
240
73
840
45
6,860
97
248
6
12
7,120
91
FY14E
6,572
56
1,720
38
410
24
562
134
790
-6
10,054
47
335
35
16
35
10,405
46
FY15E
FY16E
8,547
10,676
30
25
2,382
3,361
38
41
451
496
10
10
893
1,401
59
57
880
984
11
12
13,153
16,918
31
29
402
483
20
20
19
23
20
20
13,575
17,424
30
28
Source: Company, MOSL
14 March 2014
34

Kaveri Seed
Company Background
KSCL was promoted by Mr.Gundavaram Venkata Bhaskar Rao, a graduate in agricultural
science. He started the business of seed production of public bred varieties of corn,
bajra and sunflower on his own land in the village of Gatla Narsingapur, Karimgar
District, AP. KSCL went public in FY07. It has nearly four decades of experience in
quality seed production and farmer-centric relationships. It also has ~600 acres of
company-owned farm land dedicated for R&D. Over the past 25 years, company has
emerged as an integrated player offering a portfolio of farm solutions that focus on
premium hybrid seeds with genetically superior traits for high yield, pest resistance
and drought tolerance, micro-nutrients such as soil enhancers and organic fungicides/
pesticides and high value vegetables/herbs for the domestic and export markets.
The company has a state-of-the-art lab testing facility where seeds undergo moisture,
germination and hybrid tests. Of the 600 acres on which the company develops new
hybrids, a little over 200 acres are at Pamulpurthi. This facility also houses the
company's largest processing centre, built across 350,000 sq ft for pre-cleaning,
grading, cob drying (maintaining moisture content to increase the shelf life of seeds),
storage and packaging. It has six other processing centres across the country, which
together have a capacity of 62 metric tonnes per hour and a cold storage capacity of
8,330 metric tonnes.
Historical events
Year
1976
1986
1991
1997
2000
2001
2004
2007
2008
2009
2011
Key Milestones
Seed production unit started by Mr. GVB Rao
Kaveri Seed incorporated
Initiated R&D Program
Launched 1st hybrid corn
Seed Conditioning Plant launched at Kandlakoi (AP)
DSIR recognition for R&D
Seed conditioning plants at Gundla Pochampally (KAR) and Eluru (AP) commissioned
Initial Public Offer of equity shares and listed on stock exchange
Launched premium cotton hybrid - Jadoo
Seed conditioning plant at Pamulaparthi, AP
Kexveg, new initiative for premium vegetables, launched
Source: Company, MOSL
14 March 2014
35

Kaveri Seed
Key concerns
Tail risk high
Seed business has high tail risks 1) demand erratic due to factors such as monsoon,
technology advances, crop rotation, pricing outlook for competing crops etc; 2) low
predictability of success for new products in pipeline and 5) product life cycle short -
growth non-linear.
Agriculture income status
Most of the seed companies currently do not pay any corporate taxes as they show
their earnings as agriculture income. Most refer to the Supreme Court ruling in the
case of Monsanto, which allowed the company to treat their earnings as agriculture
income. Nonetheless, with increasing profitability of the industry, continuation of
this benefit could be at risk.
Ability to scale up in new crops
Currently, cotton seeds (non-food) accounts for bulk of the sales, for most of the
leading seed companies in India. The demand for cotton has been continuously
growing over FY03-FY12, allowing companies focusing in this segment to enjoy a steady
growth. Going forward, with companies increasingly focusing on other crops
(particularly food crops), which have more challenges, demand/ production volatile
and largely dominated by MNC players.
High reliance on cotton
Almost ~50% of the domestic seed industry and ~65% of KSCL's revenue is derived
from cotton, which has already reached 95% penetration and has become a mature
segment. Consequently, growth in this segment is likely to be limited to 3-5%.
Moreover, companies have little control on profitability, as on one side Government
freezes the selling price, while on the other side Mahyo Monsanto has significant
power on the cost side with regard to the royalty charges (~12-18% of sales) for its BT
genes.
Agriculture income status
Most of the seed companies including KSCL currently do not pay any corporate taxes
as they show their earnings as agriculture income. Most refer to the Supreme Court
ruling in the case of Monsanto, which allowed the company to treat their earnings as
agriculture income. Nonetheless, with increasing profitability of the industry,
continuation of this benefit could be at risk.
14 March 2014
36

Kaveri Seed
Annexures
Seed Types
There are two types of seed that are available to farmers - varieties [e.g., open
pollinated (OP) and self pollinated (SP) varieties] and hybrids developed through
controlled pollination of selected parents.
Compared to hybrids, the yields from varieties are lower but the farmer can save and
re-use the seed from year to year for several generations. The downside of using
famers' saved seed of OP and SP varieties is that there is some degeneration of
uniformity, yield potential and quality from one generation to the next when such
seeds are reused. Hybrid seeds compared to OP seeds usually do not perform well
when used by the farmer from saved seed in the next generation and must be
repurchased every year. The loss in yield can be very significant.
OP and SP Seed Production
Seed programs generally adhere to the four-generation system of seed multiplication,
namely, breeder, foundation, registered and certified seed.
1) Nucleus seed is the seed produced by the breeder to develop the particular variety
and is directlyused for multiplication as breeder seed.
2) Breeder seed is the seed material, directly controlled by the originating or the
sponsoring breeder or institution for the initial and recurring production of
foundation seed.
3) Foundation seed shall be the progeny of breeder seed, or be produced from
foundation seed which can be clearly traced to breeder seed. The production
shall be supervised and approved by a seed certification agency and handled in a
manner so as to maintain its specific genetic purity and identity and shall be
further required to meet the relevant labelling standards for the crop.
4) Registered seed shall be the progeny of foundation seed that is handled so as to
maintain its genetic identity and purity according to the standards prescribed for
the particular crop.
5) Certified/TL seed shall be the progeny of registered or foundation seed that is
handled so as to maintain genetic identity and purity according to the standards
specified for the particular crop. At the discretion of the certification agency (when
considered necessary to maintain adequate seed supplies) Certified/TL seed is
the one which is sold to the farmer.
14 March 2014
37

Kaveri Seed
Hybrid Seed Production
The development of seed crops takes place in several steps.
The process begins with trait selection - choosing plants that have desirable
characteristics, such as high yield, nutritional content, flavor, size or tolerance to
certain diseases and pests.
Trait selection requires an extensive pool of germplasm and significant research
and development capabilities. Seed companies produce both hybrid and OP seeds.
OP seeds are pollinated by natural means and produce progeny with no significant
variation from their component lines.
In many crops, this type of nucleus seed is the seed produced by the breeder to
develop the particular variety and is directly used for multiplication as breeder
seed.
Breeder seed is the seed material directly controlled by the originating or the
sponsoring breeder or institution for the initial and recurring production of seeds
to maintain traits indigenous to a specific parent line. In contrast, hybrid seeds
are the first generation progeny of two different parent lines.
Hybrid seeds are produced by crossbreeding two genetically dissimilar parent
plant lines. The hybrid seed production depends on the crop variety. Hybrid seed
is produced after crossing a male and a female.
Hybrid seed production
Source: Kaveri seeds RHP
The progeny of hybrid seeds (i.e., the F1 shown in the illustration above) that
results from the crossing is sold to the farmer.
The F1 hybrid seed possesses the hereditary characteristics determined by the
selected traits of the parent lines and also would normally contain enhanced
performance characteristics superior to the parent lines.
Crops produced from these seeds exhibit a higher degree of uniformity and
produce higher yields.
However, second generation seed produced by a hybrid will not inherit the
enhanced performance characteristics of its hybrid parent.
Thus, crops produced from seeds saved from hybrid crops do not display the same
performance. As a result, hybrid crop farmers must purchase new hybrid seeds
everytime in order to benefit from hybrids. The demand for hybrid seeds has been
increasing in recent years.
38
14 March 2014

Kaveri Seed
Premium charged by seeds companies
Seed companies can typically demand a premium for their proprietary hybrid seeds.
This is because these seeds are generally the only alternative for farmers looking for
certain traits, such as increased yields, tolerance etc. Farmers worldwide have
recognized the value of hybrids (including high yields and disease tolerance) and are
beginning to switch over to hybrids from OP seeds. The benefits of hybrid seeds are
such that there is economic advantage to growers who purchase hybrid seed each
year. Sales of hybrids are less susceptible to erosion due to farm-saving of seed.
Successful hybrids have been evolved and commercialized in many crops.
Stages of product development
Stage 0
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Design stage
Assembly stage
Initial crosses
Further short
listing of hybrids
Advanced selection
Multi location trails
R&D team gets product approval requirement from sales
team, a product blue print is prepared
R&D team assembles, from the germplasm collections as
per the required traits.
R&D team tries several thousand combination.
R&D team applies selection pressure and closely watches
for the desirable traits and promotes a few hybrids to next
stage after a thorough analysis of data
R&D team invites product evaluation team for joint short-
listing of hybrids
Product evaluation team conducts multi location trials. Short-
listing of hybrids by sales team
Sales team along with product evaluation team conducts
large-scale trials at farmer fields,collect farmer’s opinion
Soft launch/Trial marketing on a small scale in selected areas,
segments recognized
Release to market
Aggressive marketing, building sales volumes
Peak sales stage. Targeted volumes of the hybrid are achieved
and retained for the maximum possible period
At each stage, the new hybrids are tested against standard
checks, which are the leading hybrids in the market
Extensive data is collected at stage and statistically analysed
Source: Company, MOSL
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 6
Stage 7
Stage 8
14 March 2014
39

Kaveri Seed
Financials and Valuation
Standalone - Income Statement
Y/E March
Net Sales
Change (%)
Total Expenditure
% of Sales
EBITDA
Margin (%)
Depreciation
EBIT
Int. and Finance Charges
Other Income - Rec.
PBT bef. EO Exp.
EO Expense/(Income)
PBT after EO Exp.
Current Tax
Deferred Tax
Tax Rate (%)
Reported PAT
PAT Adj for EO items
Change (%)
Margin (%)
FY12
3,724
59.4
2,955
79.3
770
20.7
100
670
33
26
662
53
610
30
-1
4.7
581
631
48.7
17.0
FY13
7,120
91.2
5,727
80.4
1,393
19.6
122
1,271
15
49
1,305
13
1,319
36
2
2.9
1,281
1,268
100.8
17.8
FY14E
10,405
46.1
8,095
77.8
2,310
22.2
159
2,151
4
100
2,247
0
2,247
67
0
3.0
2,179
2,179
71.9
20.9
FY15E
13,575
30.5
10,453
77.0
3,122
23.0
186
2,937
4
132
3,065
0
3,065
153
0
5.0
2,912
2,912
33.6
21.4
(INR Million)
FY16E
17,424
28.4
13,336
76.5
4,088
23.5
210
3,878
3
176
4,050
0
4,050
202
0
5.0
3,847
3,847
32.1
22.1
Standalone - Balance Sheet
Y/E March
Equity Share Capital
Total Reserves
Net Worth
Total Loans
Capital Employed
Gross Block
Less: Accum. Deprn.
Net Fixed Assets
Capital WIP
Total Investments
Curr. Assets, Loans&Adv.
Inventory
Account Receivables
Cash and Bank Balance
Loans and Advances
Curr. Liability & Prov.
Account Payables
Provisions
Net Current Assets
Appl. of Funds
E: MOSL Estimates
FY12
137
2,277
2,414
247
2,661
1,269
326
943
131
1,175
3,635
3,033
285
96
220
3,225
3,130
95
410
2,661
FY13
137
3,311
3,448
31
3,479
1,813
439
1,374
81
1,318
5,902
4,912
686
143
161
5,196
5,039
157
705
3,479
FY14E
137
5,014
5,151
31
5,182
2,113
598
1,515
104
1,318
9,529
6,893
998
1,428
210
7,285
6,782
503
2,244
5,182
FY15E
137
7,210
7,347
31
7,378
(INR Million)
FY16E
137
10,104
10,241
31
10,272
2,713
994
1,719
174
1,318
19,179
11,481
1,671
5,673
355
12,119
11,128
991
7,060
10,272
2,413
783
1,629
136
1,318
13,803
9,045
1,302
3,184
273
9,509
8,762
747
4,295
7,378
14 March 2014
40

Kaveri Seed
Financials and Valuation
Ratios
Y/E March
Basic (INR)
EPS
Cash EPS
BV/Share
DPS
Payout (%)
Valuation (x)
P/E
Cash P/E
P/BV
EV/Sales
EV/EBITDA
Dividend Yield (%)
Return Ratios (%)
RoE
RoCE
Working Capital Ratios
Asset Turnover (x)
Inventory (Days)
Debtor (Days)
Creditor (Days)
Working Capital Turnover (Days)
Leverage Ratio (x)
Current Ratio
Debt/Equity
FY12
9.2
10.7
35.2
0.8
11.0
58.0
50.1
15.2
9.9
47.8
0.1
29.3
28.6
1.4
297
28
307
31
1.1
0.1
FY13
18.5
20.3
50.3
3.2
20.0
28.9
26.4
10.6
5.1
26.2
0.6
43.3
43.0
2.0
252
35
258
29
1.1
0.0
FY14E
31.8
34.1
75.2
6.0
21.9
16.8
15.7
7.1
3.4
15.3
1.1
50.7
52.0
2.0
241.8
35
238
29
1.3
0.0
FY15E
42.5
45.2
107.2
9.0
24.6
12.6
11.8
5.0
2.5
10.7
1.7
46.6
48.9
1.8
243.2
35
236
30
1.5
0.0
FY16E
56.2
59.2
149.5
12.0
24.8
9.5
9.0
3.6
1.8
7.6
2.2
43.7
45.9
1.7
240.5
35
233
29
1.6
0.0
Standalone - Cash Flow Statement
Y/E March
NP / (Loss) Before Tax and EO Items
Depreciation
Interest & Finance Charges
Direct Taxes Paid
(Inc)/Dec in WC
CF from Operations
EO Expense
CF from Operating incl EO
(inc)/dec in FA
(Pur)/Sale of Investments
Others
CF from Investments
(Inc)/Dec in Debt
Interest Paid
Dividend Paid
Others
CF from Fin. Activity
Inc/Dec of Cash
Add: Beginning Balance
Closing Balance
FY12
610
100
33
30
357
1,070
29
1,099
-108
-807
24
-892
-60
-33
-64
0
-157
51
45
96
FY13
1,319
122
15
36
-262
1,158
-59
1,099
-420
-207
46
-582
-208
-15
-256
8
-471
47
96
143
FY14E
2,247
159
4
67
-253
2,089
0
2,089
-323
0
0
-323
0
-4
-477
0
-481
1,286
143
1,428
(INR Million)
FY15E
3,065
186
4
153
-295
2,806
0
2,806
-332
0
0
-332
0
-4
-715
0
-719
1,756
1,428
3,184
FY16E
4,050
210
3
202
-277
3,784
0
3,784
-338
0
0
-338
0
-3
-954
0
-957
2,489
3,184
5,673
14 March 2014
41

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