KWS starts in vegetable seed after takeover Pop Vriend

The German seed specialist KWS announced on Wednesday 19 June that it will take over the Dutch Pop Vriend Seeds. KWS, which is mainly known in the Netherlands for its beet and maize varieties, is thus entering the vegetable segment.

Pop Vriend Seeds is the market leader in spinach seed, but also plays an important role in other vegetable seeds. The company was founded in 1956 and is growing rapidly, as it achieved a turnover of €2017 million in 2018/75. The acquisition is expected to close on July 1.

Vegetable seed market is growing
The world market for vegetable seeds can be called substantial, given the value of €5 billion. The market is expected to grow further in due course, partly due to health trends. A strategic reason for KWS to also start in vegetable seeds. KWS wants to strengthen Pop Vriend's position in the market by investing step by step.

Anne-Jan Doorn

Anne Jan Doorn is an arable expert at Boerenbusiness. He writes about the various arable farming markets and also focuses on the land and energy market.

aj.doorn@boerenbusiness. Nl

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