Seminis is a developer, grower, and marketer of fruit and vegetable

seeds In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds are the ...

, currently a subsidiary of

Bayer Bayer AG (English: , commonly pronounced ; ) is a German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company and is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies and biomedical companies in the world. Headquartered in Leverkusen, Bayer' ...

. Seminis' hybrids claim to improve nutrition, boost crop yields, limit spoilage and reduce the need for chemicals. Their retail line includes over 3,500 seed varieties.

History

Seminis was established in 1994 by Alfonso Romo under his Savia Group, a part of the Empresas La Moderna S.A. conglomerate, to consolidate leading companies in the fragmented fruit and vegetable seed industry. The goal was realized by takeovers of several companies, including

Asgrow Asgrow is a seed company owned and operated by Bayer Crop Science. History The Associated Seed Growers, Inc. ("Asgrow") was formed in 1927 when seed competitors Everett B. Clark Seed Co., John H. Allen Seed Co., and N.B. Keeney & Son joined to ...

, Petoseed, Royal Sluis, Bruinsma Seeds, and Genecorp. In 1996, Romo sold the field crop business of Seminis to

Monsanto The Monsanto Company () was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best-known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed ...

for $240 million. In 1999, Savia took Seminis public, in which Savia retained control of the company. In September 2003, Savia took Seminis off the public markets for approximately $650 million via an investment of approximately $222 million from Fox Paine & Company and additional cash and stock from Savia and related entities. On March 23, 2005, the

Monsanto Company The Monsanto Company () was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best-known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed in ...

announced that it had completed its acquisition of Seminis. Monsanto paid $1 billion in cash and $400 million assumed debt, plus a performance-based payment of up to $125 million payable by 2007. In 2018,

acquired Monsanto and all of its seed brands, including Seminis.

References

External links

Corporate website

Agriculture companies of the United States Companies based in St. Louis American companies established in 1994 Monsanto {{food-company-stub