NEWS

The ESTA (European Seed Treatment Assurance) quality certification from the European Seed Association guarantees that the seed treatment process and resulting processed seeds meet regulatory and sectoral requirements, ensuring the sustainable production of food, feed and fibers through a combination of precision and a minimum use of plant protection agents managed with the maximum efficiency and minimal environmental impact.

In line with our Quality Policy, at Semillas Fitó we decided to undergo the certification process in our logistics and processing center in Les Cases de Barbens (Lleida, Spain), to offer our customers the highest level of safety in the production and processing of our maize seeds, and to help protect the environment. The audit was approved, and we have been certified by SGS Germany as of 19 October.

Thanks to this certification we obtain environmental benefits by using smaller amounts of insecticide, since we directly treat the seed in a controlled and specific environment instead of in the open field. The application of phytosanitary products by sprinklers or microgranules is diffused in most of the field. However, applying phytosanitary products in seed treatment, these are concentrated in a very focused space and are spread in less than 1% of the field surface, guaranteeing adequate protection.

The ESTA standard covers 7 activities within its scope of certification, ranging from seed cleaning to the use given to treated seeds, and their sale. Therefore, ESTA implies supporting the industry, as it provides a quality assurance system for seeds, their treatment and subsequent use and all the necessary management throughout the supply chain.