The restructuring will see Germinal focus on its core business of forage and amenity seed, following significant recent investments in forage and grass seed breeding and research.
Germinal has today announced the restructuring of its Irish business, which will see the business concentrate on its core specialism – grass and forage seeds for agriculture and amenity customers – ceasing the production and marketing of cereal varieties in the Irish market with effect from 1st January 2022.
The move follows significant investments in grass and forage breeding and research, including employing a team of breeders embedded at IBERS Aberystwyth, investments at the Germinal Research Station in southern England, and the creation of a new Research Station in New Zealand.
It also consolidates the merger of the Germinal NI and Ireland businesses, which was announced in January. This renewed focus on specialist grass and forage seed will allow Germinal to utilise its market-leading position in NI and Ireland to drive forward research and product development, sharing its expertise to enable farmers to achieve a greener, more resilient net zero future for ruminant livestock agriculture.
Commenting on the developments, William Gilbert, Group Managing Director, Germinal, said:
“This development will simplify our business and allow us to focus our specialist knowledge and experience in forage and grass seed for the benefit of our customers. Building on the significant investment we have already made into our facilities in Tipperary, and into our forage research facilities, we will also look to strengthen our team further, recruiting new personnel for specialist positions, as we focus on delivering climate-smart forage solutions to help farmers drive productivity and profitability.”