Saaten‐Union Recherche becomes ASUR Plant Breeding

Date:07-02-2018

Saaten‐Union Recherche, a cereal breeding company founded in France 20 years ago by 4 of Saaten‐Union’s members, has just completed a major capital increase by its historical shareholders and by three French farmers’ co‐operatives. On this occasion, the company changes its name and becomes ASUR PLANT BREEDING. The letters SUR recall the company’s former initials and the letter A is common to the three cooperatives. The new logo retains the blue and green cereal seed of the former logo.

Nordsaat, one of the most important German breeders for small grain cereals (wheat, barley, triticale, oats) and a European pioneer in hybrid cereals, becomes the dominant shareholder. Its Managing Director, Wolf von Rhade, is ASUR’s new President. Guillaume de Castelbajac has been confirmed as Managing Director.

The three cooperatives are Acolyance, Terre Atlantique and CAVAC. They are historical partners in seed production, but also very active marketers of hybrid cereals, of which ASUR PB is one of the specialists. Their minority participation (13%) in the capital consolidates the strategic vision of the company, in which production technologies and favourable production areas are a key asset for the development of hybrid cereals and their indisputable benefits in a more restrictive regulatory and economic environment.

Over the last three years ASUR PLANT BREEDING has been the leading French wheat breeder based on the number of varieties registered on the French National List in the five preceding years. Its conventional wheat CHEVIGNON is the most multiplied in France in 2017‐2018. Its hybrid wheat varieties (Croisor® technology) are distributed in more than 20 countries. Its first varieties of hybrid barley (CMS technology) are coming on the market: HEDY, registered in Austria in 2018, will be distributed mainly in Central Europe. Other varieties are currently in official trials in several EU countries. ASUR PLANT BREEDING varieties are distributed by the Saaten‐Union and Rapool commercial networks.

ASUR PLANT BREEDING is part of the B4E (Breeding for Europe) group of breeders, together with Nordsaat and with Elsoms Wheat Limited, cooperating intensively to create the best wheat varieties for Europe.