Aug 6, 2018

Zaad Holdings buys Sakata Seed America’s onion breeding program

Sakata Seed America has sold its onion seed breeding program to Zaad Holdings Limited (‘Zaad’), a subsidiary of Zeder, effective July 27, 2018.

The acquirer, Zaad, is a vertically integrated agriculture company headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa. The company has strong R&D, production and distribution systems established in continental Africa, Europe and the US.  Dr. Sean Fort, the program’s breeder for over 18 years, will continue onion breeding efforts for Zaad.

Sakata Seed America will maintain the right of first refusal to market the acquired commercial onion genetics in their existing territories.

“We are excited about the partnership to market these genetics globally,” says John Nelson, Vice-president of Sakata Seed America. “Zaad has an outstanding reputation and capabilities that will enable them to expand production and supply channels in the onion market.”

Zaad will continue to advance innovation and introduce quality new genetics to the market through the established breeding program, spearheaded by Dr. Sean Fort, and will supply the program’s seed moving forward.

“We at Zaad look forward to continuing to expand the genetics of this program. In addition, we are pleased about our new marketing partnership with Sakata, which is a win-win for both companies,” said Antonie Jacobs, CEO of Zaad Holdings.

Further terms of the deal have not been disclosed at this time.

Zaad operates in the specialized agri-inputs industry and currently owns, develops, imports and distributes a broad range of agri seeds in Africa, Europe and other international markets. Its portfolio, product and geographic mix have been structured to mitigate agri cyclicality. Zaad further invests in numerous growth initiatives which is expected to yield positive results in the medium to long term. The specialised agri-inputs market, and in particular the seed segment, remain attractive and Zaad is well positioned to benefit from growth opportunities that it offers.

About Sakata Seed America, Inc: Headquartered in Morgan Hill, California, Sakata Seed America is a major research, seed production and marketing-distribution subsidiary of Sakata Seed Corporation, established in 1913.   Sakata Seed America, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2017, serves as the headquarters for the North American/Central American operations.