Sep 13, 2024

Pop Vriend Seeds-KWS changes name

Plant breeder Pop Vriend Seeds gains a new name. On Oct. 1, the Netherlands-based Pop Vriend plans to officially change its name to KWS Vegetables Netherlands B.V.

Pop Vriend Seeds made the announcement in a Sept. 11 email to customers and others.

“As the KWS vegetables business unit continues to grow since its start in 2019 and is introducing new crops to the market, it is now time to unify our identity under a single brand,” Pop Vriend said in the email. “We are excited to announce that, as of October 1, 2024, Pop Vriend Seeds will officially be renamed KWS Vegetables Netherlands B.V.

The change reflects Pop Vriend’s full integration into the KWS family and represents an important milestone in the global vision of KWS to become a leading vegetable company and leveraging KWS’s resources to the Pop Vriend pipeline even stronger, according to the email.

“In 2019, Pop Vriend Seeds was acquired by KWS, a company with over 165 years of experience in agricultural plant breeding and one of the largest independent seed companies in the world,” Pop Vriend said in the email. “This partnership has allowed us to access new technologies and expertise, which also benefits our customers. Both companies share a strong family-oriented culture and a history of innovation, making this partnership a natural fit.”

Pop Vriend’s site in Andijk, in the heart of Netherland’s Seed Valley, will continue to serve as a central hub for its vegetables business, scaling it core activities for the company’s nine crops: spinach, beans, swiss chard, red beet, tomato, pepper, cucumber, melon and watermelon.

Many of Pop Vriend’s green bean varieties are suitable for organic cultivation, according to its website. For more than 20 years, KWS has supplied organic seeds grown at its organic farm, Klostergut Wiebrechtshausen, which is farmed under Naturland standards, according to KWS’ website.

Founded in 1956 by Popke Vriend, Pop Vriend Seeds is a vegetable seed breeding company based in Andijk, Netherlands, that breeds and markets hybrid seeds in more than 100 countries. The company supplies seeds for spinach, green beans, swiss chard, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, watermelon and red beets.

With roots tracing to 1856, the Einbeck, Germany-based KWS SAAT SE & Co. supplies seeds for field corn, cereals, sugarbeets and vegetables. Vegetables account for 4% of its sales, according to KWS’ website.