February 8, 2024
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2 min
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The global seed market reached a value of $66.85 billion in 2023. Seed companies play a crucial role in generating new plants, and they are at the forefront of innovation.
Seed companies benefit from a global market with an increase in seeds demand due to the growing world population and the improvement of standard of living. Seed companies also take advantage of a tendency to increase the use of commercial seeds.
Doriane specializes in data-driven agronomy. We offer plant breeding software and our recent software, Bloomeo, simplifies product development of seed varieties with cutting-edge technology and an intuitive interface.
After tedious research, we came out with this ranking of the top seed companies. Then we thought “Why not share it with the community?” Target of this ranking is both to identify the top seed companies and to analyze the yearly evolution of their turnover.
Among the top 12 seed companies above, here is the ranking of breeding companies based on their growth rate:
Do you think one company is missing in this ranking? Any comment on it? Please let us know: Contact us
Bayer is the largest and most diversified seed company in the world, with a strong presence in corn, soybean, cotton, vegetable, and specialty crops. Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018, which gave it access to the leading biotechnology and digital farming platforms. Bayer also offers a range of crop protection products and services to complement its seed portfolio.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : AG43X8 is a 4.3 maturity group soybean that has high yield potential, strong emergence, and good tolerance to white mold and sudden death syndrome. It has the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® technology, which provides tolerance to both dicamba and glyphosate herbicides.
Corteva is the result of the merger between Dow and DuPont’s agricultural divisions in 2019. Corteva is the market leader in corn and sunflower seeds, and has a competitive position in soybean, rice, canola, and sorghum. Corteva also has a strong portfolio of crop protection products, especially in herbicides and insecticides. Corteva aims to leverage its innovation capabilities and global reach to deliver sustainable solutions to farmers.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : Pioneer® P1197AMXT™, a corn hybrid that has high yield potential, excellent stalks and roots, and tolerance to multiple herbicides. P1197AMXT™ also has the Optimum® AcreMax® XTreme trait, which provides protection against above- and below-ground insects, as well as refuge management.
Syngenta is a global leader in crop protection, with a broad and diverse portfolio of products and services. Syngenta also has a significant presence in the seed market, especially in vegetables, corn, soybean, sugar beet, and cereals. Syngenta was acquired by ChemChina in 2017, which gave it access to the Chinese market and resources. Syngenta focuses on delivering integrated solutions that address the challenges of climate change, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : Golden Harvest® G10A20-3120 E-Z Refuge®, a corn hybrid that has high yield potential, excellent standability, and tolerance to multiple herbicides. I has the Agrisure® 3120 trait stack, which provides protection against above- and below-ground insects, as well as refuge management.
BASF is the world’s largest chemical company, with a wide range of products and solutions for various industries. BASF entered the seed market in 2018, when it acquired some of Bayer’s assets as part of the regulatory approval for the Bayer-Monsanto deal. BASF now has a strong position in canola, cotton, soybean, and wheat seeds, as well as a portfolio of crop protection products, especially in fungicides and seed treatments. BASF aims to offer innovative and sustainable solutions that enhance crop quality and yield.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : Clearfield® CL 153, a long-grain rice variety that has high yield potential, good milling quality, and tolerance to multiple herbicides. I also has the Clearfield® Production System, which provides protection against weedy rice and other grasses, as well as refuge management.
Vilmorin is a French company that specializes in vegetable and field crop seeds. Vilmorin is the fourth largest vegetable seed company in the world, with a wide range of products for various markets and regions. Vilmorin also has a strong position in field crops, especially in wheat, corn, sunflower, and rapeseed. Vilmorin is part of the Limagrain group, which is a cooperative of farmers that focuses on research and development, and international expansion.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : BOLERO F1®, a Carrot Nantaise variety for conservation. I has excellent taste and color, and is resistant to several diseases, resistant to imidazolinone herbicides and offers weed control and quality advantages. also has a large sowing window and is well adapted to winter harvests.
KWS is a German company that is one of the oldest and most respected seed companies in the world. KWS is a market leader in sugar beet, and has a strong position in corn, wheat, barley, rye, and rapeseed. KWS also offers a range of forage and cover crops, as well as biogas crops. KWS is an independent and family-owned company that focuses on innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : KWS KAMELEON® is a yellow pea that has excellent productivity and protein content. It also has good stem strength and a long flowering period. It is suitable for human and animal consumption, as well as for extended crop rotation.
DLF Seeds A/S, formerly known as DLF-TRIFOLIUM A/S, is a global seed company based in Roskilde, Denmark1. The company specializes in forage and amenity seeds, sugar and forage beet seed, seed and ware potatoes, and other crops. DLF is the global market leader in providing grass and clover seeds to more than 100 countries
🌱 One of their famous varieties : Keystone 2 is one of the top varieties in the NTEP Perennial Ryegrass trials. The significant improvements of Keystone 2 over the original Keystone are its increased density, summer performance, and disease resistance.
Rijk Zwaan is a Dutch company that is a leader in vegetable seeds, especially in lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and pepper. Rijk Zwaan also offers seeds for other vegetables, such as melon, eggplant, and spinach. Rijk Zwaan is an independent and privately-owned company that focuses on research and development, and long-term partnerships. Rijk Zwaan aims to offer seeds that create value for the entire chain, from growers to consumers.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : Salanova® lettuce, which is a unique and innovative concept that offers convenience, efficiency, and diversity for growers and consumers.
RAGT is a French company that is a leader in cereal seeds, especially in wheat, barley, and oats. RAGT also offers seeds for corn, sunflower, rapeseed, soybean, and forage crops. RAGT is a cooperative of farmers that focuses on research and development, and international expansion. RAGT aims to offer high-performance and sustainable seeds that meet the needs of farmers and consumers.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : RGT Planet® spring barley, which is the most widely grown variety in Europe and has excellent malting quality. RGT Planet stands out by combining Exceptional Yield Potential, Early to Mid Early Maturity, Excellent Disease Resistance, Good Lodging Resistance and High Quality Grain.
Sakata is a Japanese company that is a leader in vegetable and ornamental seeds, especially in brassicas, cucurbits, leafy vegetables, and flowers. Sakata also offers seeds for field crops, such as rice, corn, and sorghum. Sakata is a family-owned company that focuses on innovation, quality, and customer service. Sakata aims to offer seeds that contribute to the health and happiness of people around the world.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : Broccoli Marathon F1®, which is a popular and versatile variety that produces large, uniform, and dark green heads.
LongPing is a Chinese company that is a leader in hybrid rice seeds, which have higher yields and quality than conventional rice varieties. LongPing also offers seeds for corn, wheat, cotton, and vegetables. LongPing is part of the Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture group, which is a state-owned enterprise that focuses on innovation, technology, and international expansion. LongPing aims to offer seeds that improve food security and agricultural development.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : LongPing 601® hybrid rice, which is a high-quality and high-yielding variety that has been widely planted in China and other countries.
Advanta is an Indian company that is a leading provider of hybrid seeds for various crops, such as corn, rice, sunflower, sorghum, pearl millet, mustard, and cotton. Advanta also offers crop protection products and services, such as bio-stimulants, bio-fertilizers, and bio-pesticides. Advanta is part of the UPL group, which is a global leader in generic crop protection products. Advanta aims to offer high-quality and affordable seeds that enhance crop productivity and profitability.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : PAC 606® hybrid pearl millet, which is a high-yielding and drought-tolerant forage crop.
GDM Seeds is a global company focused on soybean research, development, and commercialization. The group also breeds and distributes wheat varieties. GDM Seeds accounts for more than 45% of global soy germplasm. GDM Seeds operates in more than 15 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, and the United States. They lead the soybean market in Brazil, with a 54% market share.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : DM24E23 from their brand Don Mario. DM24E23 is a 2.4RM soybean variety that excels in high-yielding environments. It has a medium plant height with good standability and is resistant to SCN. It also has a very good SDS score.DonMario is the #1 Brand in the South Latam region. They have developed a wide range of soybean varieties under this brand.
Enza Zaden develops new vegetable varieties for more than 30 different vegetable crops, including lettuce, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Enza Zaden operates in all continents with over thirty subsidiaries. In the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, Enza Zaden is best known for protected culture tomato, pepper, cucumber, and controlled environment agriculture lettuce, as well as open-field lettuce, spinach, and newer programs in seedless watermelon and onion.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : Orange Summer pumpkin can be cultivated directly from botanical seed and produces table pumpkins in one season. This high-yielding variety matures early and germinates exceptionally well under cold conditions. It produces very uniform, flavorsome fruits.
Bejo Zaden B.V. is a global company that breeds, produces, processes, and sells vegetable seeds for more than 30 different vegetable crops. They offer a broad portfolio of vegetable crops, including lettuce, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, onions, radicchio rosso, fennel, and romanesco seeds.
🌱 One of their famous varieties : Oliver F17 is the first True Potato Seed (TPS) variety. This new potato hybrid can be cultivated directly from botanical seed and, after transplanting, produces table potatoes in one season.
Takii Takii & Co., Ltd. is based in Kyoto, Japan. The company develops and produces various vegetable seeds such as fruit crops, including cucumber, eggplant, hot pepper, melon, squash, sweet pepper, tomato, and watermelon. They have developed around 2,000 varieties of vegetable and flower seeds. They operate in all continents with over thirty subsidiaries
🌱 One of their famous varieties : Prestar F1 White Cabbage is a very early variety with a compact frame. It is strong against bolting and has a firm and solid head with a short core. It is recommended for the earliest transplanting. The maturity is around 50 days, and it is harvested in spring.
This top 12 ranking only includes top seed companies with plant breeding activities and selling their own varieties.
Figures are from 1st of June to 30 of June, except for Vilmorin-Mikado (April-March), Sakata (June-May) and LPHT (Jan-Dec). For some companies, we had to add the various quarters to get the revenues from 1st of July to 30th of June.
This ranking only includes companies officially releasing their accounts. Some top seed companies are not included in the ranking due to lack of financial information publicly available, but should be considered in the top 20 seed companies:
- GDM Seeds (estimation: 850 M USD turnover in 2022, internal source GDM Seeds)
- Enza Zaden (no estimation available, the company only communicates on the number of their employees (2 000) and their average growth (8%))
- Bejo Zaden (communication only on the number of employees: 1 900)
- Takii (communication only on the number of varieties on the market: + 5 500)
All data originates from the annual release report of each seed company.
The figures mentioned in this article are extracted from various sources:
Currencies have been converted with the following exchange rates :
Romain Royer
Marketing Manager
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