Bulk Retail Facilities and Bulk Distribution Centers
Bulk Retail Facilities and Bulk Distribution Centers are sites other than a certified seed producer's primary place of business that serve as retail outlets for Kansas Certified Seed. Such sites are approved by KCIA (in the case of Bulk Retail Facilities) or registered by the certified seed grower contracting with a site ( in the case of a Bulk Distribution Center).
The two types of facilities have very different functions and responsibilities as are noted below. Any facility with proper equipment completely separate from grain handling facilities and with the ability and desire to maintain seed quality and conform to State seed laws and Kansas certification standards is eligible. Both types of facilities must register with the Kansas Department of Agriculture as a seed retailer.
Standards governing Bulk Distribution Centers and Bulk Retail Facilities
Proper Labeling of Certified Seed
2024 KCIA Approved retail bulk sites
Bulk Distribution Center (BDC)
A Bulk Distribution Center is a facility that contracts with a certified seed grower to sell that seedgrower's certified seed. The certified grower inspects the site for suitability and completes a registration form which is submitted to KCIA. The certified seed grower supplies his/her seed and official Bulk Retail Sale Certificates or official Bulk Invoice Labels to the BDC. The BDC agrees to maintain the seed in quality and purity, deliver the seed to its customer, and issue the proper document or label to the customer. A facility may act as a BDC for more that one certified grower if all parties are ammenable. The certified grower is responsible that the BDC is acting according to state seed laws and certification standards and should not sign up a site if these expectations can't be met by the facility. There are no fees associated with being a BDC.
Bulk Retail Facility (BRF)
KCIA Requires the use of the Seed Lot Management Dashboard as of 2023
A Bulk Retail Facility, one approved by KCIA, operates as an independent facility with authority to purchase eligible Kansas Certified seed, and sell that seed under their company name. There are procedures that must be followed to purchase seed for resale. A bulk retail facility is responsible for complying with all seed laws and certification standards and, since its name is on the label, assumes all responsibilities for that seed.
A bulk retail facility purchases eligible seed by contacting the certified dealer/grower who will conduct a resale to the facility account via the dashboard. The BRF will receive notification of a pending movement of seed to its facility and will accept or reject the seed in the dashboard. If accepted, the seed will automatically be entered into the active inventory. Once in inventory, the seed can be sold using a dashboard-generated bulk retail certificate, or using bulk invoice labels ordered from KCIA via the dashboard.
A bulk retail facility must be registered with the Kansas Department of Agriculture. To become a BRF, application must be made to KCIA. A one-time on-site inspection of facilities an and a training session will be conducted. There is a fee for approval and for annual renewal. They are listed at the bottom of the application. You do not have to be a KCIA member to be a Bulk Retail Facility, but fees are substantially higher for non-members.
Marketing Certified Seed as a Bulk Retail Facility - slide overview of record requirements
Application for Bulk Retail Facility - use this form for application for new sites or renewal of Bulk Retail Facilities.
The link below will take you to the Dashboard training videos which will demonstrate opening an account, receiving, and selling seed.
Certification Dashboard Training Videos - watch these to understand the seed lot management dashboard
If activity is properly conducted within the Seed Lot Management Dashboard, the inventory sheet used in the past will become unncessary:
Maintaining a Bulk Retail Facility Inventory Sheet - an example of how to maintain an inventory sheet. If your company has an in-house inventory program that will provide us the same information clearly, you may use that in lieu of our inventory sheet.