Semillas del huila
Semillas del Huila S.A. is a Colombian certified rice seed producer, founded in 1977 in Neiva, that develops and commercializes proprietary rice varieties through a four-site phytimprovement research center, selling to rice farmers across Huila, Tolima, Meta, Casanare and the Orinoquía via regional reps and ORF distribution.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersNeiva, Colombia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Semillas del huila does
Semillas del Huila S.A. is a privately held Colombian corporation founded in 1977 in Neiva by 11 agronomic engineers to produce and commercialize certified rice seed. The company operates a modern processing plant inaugurated in 1990 with annual capacity of 8,000–10,000 tonnes, and an in-house Centro de Investigación en Fitomejoramiento with four regional research sites in Huila, Tolima, Meta and Casanare. Its product portfolio comprises at least 10 proprietary rice varieties (including SH-01, SH-27, SICALIS SH CL, SH COROCORA, COCLÍ, SIKUANI, SATHIRI, YACÚA, NASA and the TUKANO lines) plus licensed varieties (COPROSEM 304, ORYZICA-1), registered with Colombia's ICA and adapted to distinct agro-climatic zones such as the Valles Interandinos, Orinoquía, Llanos and Valle Geográfico del Río Magdalena.
The business model is built on one-time seed sales of certified rice varieties — anchored by the October 2025 launch of SICALIS SH CL, a herbicide-resistant variety jointly developed with BASF (Clearfield® trait) and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (molecular-marker introgression) — complemented by post-sale professional services such as planted-lot supervision, GPS measurement and additional seed treatments. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct sales through five regional commercial representatives covering Huila, Tolima, Meta, Casanare and the main Neiva plant, combined with a strategic distribution alliance with ORF (Organización Roa Florhuila) and event-driven demand generation through Días de Campo and Pioneros Sicalis field demonstrations co-organized with BASF, ORF and regional input suppliers. The customer base consists of SMB rice farmers across Colombia's main producing regions; ISO 9001 certification has been maintained since 2005 and Molinos Roa S.A. has been a shareholder since the 1998 conversion to a sociedad anónima.
Semillas del huila firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Semillas del huila
- Legal name
- Semillas del Huila S.A.
- Website
- https://semillasdelhuila.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Semillas del Huila S.A. is a Colombian certified rice seed producer, founded in 1977 in Neiva, that develops and commercializes proprietary rice varieties through a four-site phytimprovement research center, selling to rice farmers across Huila, Tolima, Meta, Casanare and the Orinoquía via regional reps and ORF distribution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Semillas del huila industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Certified Rice Seeds
- NAICS
- Rice Farming (111160)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cereal & Grain Seeds (Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye) (AFABAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Transformation & Tissue Culture Platforms (Plant regeneration, delivery systems) (AFABALAH)
Keywords
Where Semillas del huila is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Neiva
- HQ country
- Colombia
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Semillas del huila business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Certified Rice Seeds: Production and commercialization of certified rice seeds, including proprietary varieties (SH-01, SH-26, SH-27, SICALIS SH CL, SH COROCORA, COCLI, SIKUANI, SATHIRI, YACÚA) and licensed varieties (COPROSEM 304, ORYZICA-1). Primary revenue stream.
- Technical Services: Post-sale technical services including lot supervision, GPS measurement, and additional product treatments. Services support customer retention and seed quality assurance.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Semillas del huila product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Semillas del Huila develops, produces, and commercializes certified rice seed of proprietary varieties created at its in-house Fitomejoramiento Research Center. Its portfolio includes ICA-registered lines with Clearfield herbicide-tolerance technology and is delivered alongside technical agronomic advisory services to rice farmers across Colombia.
Product overview
Semillas del Huila S.A. is a Colombian certified rice seed producer founded in 1977, offering a portfolio of 12 proprietary rice varieties developed through its Fitomejoramiento Research Center. The product portfolio includes regional varieties such as SICALIS SH CL (Clearfield® herbicide-resistant), SH COROCORA (Orinoquía), COCLÍ (Valle del Magdalena), SIKUANI, SATHIRI, YACÚA, SH-27, NASA, TUKANO CENTRO, and TUKANO ORINOQUÍA, plus distributed varieties ORYZICA-1 and COPROSEM 304. The company complements its seed offerings with agronomic services including field supervision, GPS measurement, seed treatment, and ongoing promotions, serving farmers across Colombia's major rice-producing regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Certified Rice Seed (proprietary varieties)
Quantifiable outcome
- 140-150 bags per hectare yield reported by farmers using SICALIS SH CL variety
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Semillas del huila
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Semillas del huila technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Semillas del huila partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BASF Soluciones para la AgriculturacoreBASF provided the Clearfield® herbicide resistance trait for the SICALIS SH CL variety. Joint development with Semillas del Huila and CIAT. BASF is also a key co-organizer of field days and Pioneros Sicalis events across Colombia.
- ORF (Organización Roa Florhuila)coreORF is the Colombian miller and input distributor handling seed distribution for SICALIS SH CL. Mentioned as a key commercial partner in field day events (ORF Neiva, ORF Campoalegre, ORF Espinal). Strategic alliance formed to efficiently deliver technology to farmers.
- Molinos Roa S.A.coreMolinos Roa S.A. became a shareholder in Semillas del Huila when it transformed into a sociedad anónima (anonymous society) in 1998. This equity partnership has provided strategic backing for the company's growth.
- COPROSEMcoreSemillas del Huila is a member of COPROSEM, a consortium that enables participation in national rice research programs. Through COPROSEM, the company produces varieties including Coprosem 1, Coprosem 304, Oryzica Caribe 8, and its own SH-01, SH-26, and SH-27.
- Alianza Bioversity & CIATcoreThe Alliance (led by Paola Andrea Mosquera, Rice Improvement Program Leader) performed genetic introgression of the Clearfield® trait using molecular markers in laboratories in Palmira, Valle. Provided 50+ years of rice research expertise for Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Insumos ORF (regional branches)minorRegional ORF input stores co-organize field days and distribute seed in specific departments (ORF Neiva, ORF Campoalegre, ORF Casanare, ORF Espinal).
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Semillas del huila competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- BASF Agricultural Solutions: Existing strategic partner through the Clearfield® herbicide-resistance trait licensed into SICALIS SH CL; also competes in adjacent crop protection and seed markets. Highly relevant as both a partner and a potential competitor if BASF vertically integrates into rice seed distribution.
- Agrosavia (Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria): Colombian public agricultural research corporation that develops and releases crop varieties, including rice. Comparable to Semillas del Huila in the domestic rice breeding ecosystem but functions as a public-sector research entity rather than a commercial seed company.
Emerging players
- Advanta Seeds: International seed company with rice and tropical crop offerings in Latin America and Asia. Comparable to Semillas del Huila in providing regionally adapted rice genetics and competing for share in emerging rice markets.
Direct peers
- Fedearroz (Federación Nacional de Arroceros): Colombia's national rice farmers' federation, which develops and distributes its own rice varieties (Fedearroz 50, 60, 67, etc.) and competes directly with Semillas del Huila for certified seed sales to Colombian rice farmers in the same geographies.
- RiceTec: Specialized hybrid rice seed company focused exclusively on rice, comparable to Semillas del Huila in single-crop dedication. Operates primarily in the US/Latin America and represents the most direct global analog to a pure-play rice seed business model.
Broad incumbents
- Corteva Agriscience (Pioneer): Global seed major with rice breeding programs serving Latin America. Competes with Semillas del Huila in commercial rice varieties but operates at a much larger scale across multiple crops and geographies.
- Syngenta: Global seed and crop protection company with rice hybrids and inbred varieties. Competes with Semillas del Huila in the broader rice seed market and shares the channel of selling through distributors to farmers.
- Limagrain: French farmer-cooperative seed group with rice varieties among its portfolio. Comparable as a multi-crop seed company with research-driven variety development serving global markets including the Americas.
- KWS Saat: German seed company expanding into rice and other cereals. Comparable as an established multi-crop breeding company that competes for share with regional players like Semillas del Huila in cereals globally.
- Bayer Crop Science: Multinational agricultural inputs company with rice seed offerings and competing trait stacks. Overlaps with Semillas del Huila in commercial rice seeds but operates across a far broader crop protection and seed portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Semillas del huila social profiles
Digital presenceSemillas del huila compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Semillas del huila financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Semillas del huila leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Semillas del huila funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Semillas del huila M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Semillas del huila
What does Semillas del huila do?
Semillas del Huila develops, produces, and commercializes certified rice seed of proprietary varieties created at its in-house Fitomejoramiento Research Center. Its portfolio includes ICA-registered lines with Clearfield herbicide-tolerance technology and is delivered alongside technical agronomic advisory services to rice farmers across Colombia.
Is Semillas del huila a public or private company?
Semillas del huila is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Semillas del huila founded?
Semillas del huila was founded in 1977. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Semillas del huila based?
Semillas del huila is headquartered in Neiva, Colombia, in the Latin America region.
How does Semillas del huila make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Certified Rice Seeds are the primary driver. The others are technical Services.
Who are Semillas del huila's main competitors?
Others on record are BASF Agricultural Solutions and Agrosavia (Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria). Advanta Seeds is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Fedearroz (Federación Nacional de Arroceros) and RiceTec. Broad incumbents are Corteva Agriscience (Pioneer), Syngenta, Limagrain, KWS Saat and Bayer Crop Science.
Does Semillas del huila have an API?
No public API is recorded for Semillas del huila.
What industry is Semillas del huila in?
Semillas del huila's product category is Certified Rice Seeds. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABAFAB, Cereal & Grain Seeds (Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye), with a secondary code of AFABALAH, Transformation & Tissue Culture Platforms (Plant regeneration, delivery systems). Its NAICS code is 111160 and its SIC code is 100.