KWS strengthens research and development for vegetables

• State-of-the-art research and development center inaugurated in the Netherlands
• New capacities support ambitious goals in KWS vegetable breeding
• Introduction of new varieties in all KWS vegetable crops expected within the next three years

Seed specialist KWS has significantly expanded its site in Andijk in the Netherlands. After a year of construction, a state-of-the-art research and development center was officially inaugurated on Wednesday. Covering an area of around 10,000 square meters, it houses a 6,600 square meter greenhouse and a preparation and research area for outdoor vegetables including an office and laboratory. The focus is on research into spinach, beans, red beet, chard, cucumber and peppers.

KWS invested a double-digit million-Euro amount in the new facilities. Special attention was paid to sustainability during the planning phase: For example, 360 solar modules were installed to provide the Andijk site with green electricity.

The KWS site in Andijk is located in the heart of Seed Valley, a global center for vegetable breeding in the northwest of the Netherlands, and serves as a central hub for the Vegetables business unit. KWS entered the market for vegetable seeds in 2019 and is pursuing a long-term strategy that entails the organic development of its own breeding activities for tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, melons and watermelons in addition to the sale of in-licensed varieties and targeted acquisitions. Since entering the market, the company has built up an international network of research and breeding stations, which now comprises ten sites in the Netherlands, Brazil, Spain, Turkey, Italy and Mexico.

“With this investment, we underline our ambition in vegetable breeding. These new facilities mark a significant milestone in our global R&D network and infrastructure,” says Simon Walter, Head of Business Unit Vegetables. “Moreover, we have successfully attracted and recruited highly qualified colleagues from around the globe. With these key elements in place, we are ready to drive innovation and introduce high-quality varieties from our newly established breeding programs to the market.” The new programs are successfully progressing through their lifecycle stages, and KWS anticipates introducing new, innovative varieties of all nine vegetable crops within the next three years.

About KWS

KWS is one of the world’s leading plant breeding companies. Nearly 5,000 employees* in more than 70 countries generated net sales of around €1.68 billion in the fiscal year 2023/2024. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for almost 170 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for sugarbeet, corn, cereals, vegetables, oilseed rape and sunflower. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield for farmers and plants’ resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested more than €300 million last fiscal year in research and development.
*excl. seasonal workforce

More information: www.kws.com.

Contacts:

Peter Vogt  
Head of Investor Relations
Phone: +49-30 816914-490
peter.vogt@kws.com