Idaho Crop Improvement

What Idaho Crop Improvement does

Idaho Crop Improvement Association, Inc. (ICIA) is a nonprofit membership corporation that serves as Idaho's official seed certifying agency, operating under a statutory designation granted by the Idaho Legislature through the Seed and Plant Certification Act of 1959 and appointed by the Regents of the University of Idaho as its authorized agent. Organized in 1940 by certified seed growers and incorporated on April 17, 1941, ICIA has provided seed certification services for over 78 years, preserving varietal purity and health across more than 20 crop categories including seed potatoes, beans, alfalfa, grains, grasses, chickpeas, peas, lentils, rapeseed/canola, forage legumes, and pre-variety germplasm.

The organization's core technology is its certification standards framework, which meets or exceeds Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) minimum standards and is governed by Idaho administrative rules (IDAPA 08.05.01). Its service infrastructure includes field inspections, greenhouse and seed potato certification programs, bean phytosanitary inspection, laboratory testing (including potato tissue culture testing), inter-agency and OECD international certification protocols, and a member portal (seedcert.idahocrop.com). ICIA also publishes annual acreage reports, aphid trapping reports, seed potato grower directories, and conditioner directories organized by Idaho geographic regions, providing market intelligence to the state's seed industry.

ICIA generates revenue through certification fees (application, inspection, laboratory testing, and certification tag fees that vary by crop type and certification level) and annual membership dues from certified seed growers. The organization serves a horizontal segment of mid-market agricultural producers across Idaho's five agricultural districts through a central office in Meridian and four regional area offices (Moscow, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and the Southwest Meridian location). ICIA is governed by a ten-member board of directors, seven of whom are elected by membership across districts, with the Director of the University of Idaho Agricultural Research Station serving as an ex-officio director.

Name

Idaho Crop Improvement

Legal name

Idaho Crop Improvement Association, Inc.

Website

https://idahocrop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Idaho Crop Improvement Association is a nonprofit organization serving as Idaho's official seed certifying authority, providing field inspections, laboratory testing, and certification services across 20+ crop types to the state's agricultural producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Seed Certification Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (1151), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Seed Quality Testing & Certification Services (AFAGAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seed Testing Services (Germination, Purity, Vigor, Seed Health) (AFACAKAL), Seed Testing, Certification & Quality Assurance (Germination, Purity, Phytosanitary) (AFABAFAM)

Keywords

• Seed certification services
• Agricultural inspection services
• Phytosanitary certification
• Crop variety certification
• Seed health testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Meridian

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Seed Certification Services: Fees collected for seed certification services including application fees, inspection fees, laboratory testing fees, and certification tags for seed potato and other certified seed crops
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for certified seed growers who participate in the ICIA certification program

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Idaho Crop Improvement Association provides official seed certification services for Idaho's agricultural producers, including application processing, field inspections, laboratory testing (including tissue culture testing), and certification tag issuance across more than 20 crop categories such as seed potatoes, beans, grains, alfalfa, grasses, legumes, and forage crops. The organization operates under AOSCA-compliant standards and IDAPA 08.05.01 rules, enabling both inter-agency recognition and international (OECD) seed movement for its certified seeds.

Product overview

Idaho Crop Improvement Association (ICIA) is a nonprofit organization serving as Idaho's official seed certification authority for over 78 years. The organization operates as a single-platform service offering multiple seed certification programs rather than a modular product suite. The core offering consists of seed certification services across 20+ crop types including potatoes, beans, grains, alfalfa, grass, legumes, and forage crops, with supporting services including laboratory testing, acreage reporting, aphid monitoring, and a member portal (seedcert.idahocrop.com). Certification programs include Seed Potato Certification, Bean Phytosanitary Inspection, Greenhouse Seed Potato Certification, Pre-Variety Germplasm Certification, and various crop-specific certifications (Grain, Grass, Alfalfa, Chickpea, Pea, Lentil, etc.), all governed by IDAPA 08.05.01 standards and AOSCA minimum requirements. The organization also publishes annual directories, acreage reports, seminar reports, and maintains a conditioner directory grouped by Idaho geographic regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seed Certification Programs (Multi-Crop)

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Regents of the University of IdahocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 1959The Regents of the University of Idaho appointed ICIA as their authorized agent to administer and conduct seed certification in Idaho under the Seed and Plant Certification Act of 1959. This designation established ICIA as Idaho's official seed certifying agency.
• Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA)coreOthersICIA's certification regulations meet or exceed AOSCA minimum standards. Crops approved for certification in Idaho may be certified under AOSCA minimum standards when Idaho-specific rules are not in effect. AOSCA membership enables inter-agency certification for international seed movement.
• University of Idaho - College of Agricultural and Life SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Idaho College of Agriculture provides ex-officio representation on ICIA's Board of Directors through the Director of the Agricultural Research Station. Academic partnership for agricultural research and seed science.
• Idaho State Department of AgriculturesupportingOthersState agency partner providing regulatory oversight and alignment with Idaho agricultural policies. ICIA resources page links to ISDA for additional agricultural services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Utah Crop Improvement Association: Utah's nonprofit seed certifying organization delivering certification services, standards, and reporting to Utah seed growers. Closely comparable in scale, mission, and nonprofit membership structure to ICIA.
• Montana Foundation Seed Program (Montana State University): Montana's university-based seed certification and foundation seed program. Operates a parallel statutory model to ICIA, certifying small grains, pulses, and other crops under AOSCA standards.
• Washington State Crop Improvement Association: Washington's nonprofit seed certifying body, providing AOSCA-aligned certification across multiple crop types. Closely mirrors ICIA's structure, member-driven model, and statutory role within its state.
• Oregon Seed Certification Service: Oregon's official seed certifying agency, administered through Oregon State University. Operates the same statutory certification model as ICIA for the State of Oregon, serving directly comparable growers and crop types.
• Colorado Seed Programs (Colorado State University): Colorado's university-administered seed certification program for field inspection, lab testing, and tag issuance. Comparable to ICIA in being the statutory certifying body for its state under AOSCA standards.
• Nebraska Crop Improvement Association: Nebraska's nonprofit member-driven seed certifying agency. Provides certification, field inspection, and lab testing services across multiple crop types under AOSCA standards, structurally similar to ICIA.
• California Crop Improvement Association: California's official seed certifying agency, affiliated with UC Davis. Performs field inspection, lab testing, and certification tagging on the same AOSCA standards as ICIA for a different state footprint.

Broad incumbents

• SGS Agriculture: Global agricultural testing and certification services provider, including seed testing. Competes indirectly with ICIA's lab testing services via broader commercial reach and international footprint, though it lacks state-statutory certification authority.
• Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA): The umbrella standards body that sets minimum certification standards across U.S. and international seed certifying agencies. ICIA's certification relies on AOSCA standards for inter-agency recognition; AOSCA serves as the broader incumbent governing the framework within which ICIA operates.

Emerging players

• Eurofins Bioagricert: International seed and agricultural testing laboratory network offering germination, purity, and seed health testing. An emerging commercial alternative for laboratory testing components of seed certification, though it does not hold state statutory designation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/idaho-crop-improvement-assn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Idaho Crop Improvement