The Seed Valley companies in the northwest of the Netherlands work on the development of new vegetable and flower varieties and the related technology. The ecosystem exists of the following company types:
- breeding companies that develop new vegetable and flower varieties;
- seed technology companies that improve the quality of seeds after production;
- young plant nurseries that supply young plants to growers and provide grow-out services for seed and breeding companies;
- seed trade companies that import and export seeds across the world;
- research facilities that provide laboratory and research services for growers, seed, and breeding companies;
- suppliers focused on seed companies such as equipment & engineering, technical installation companies and robotics suppliers
Together they are the world’s leading centre of plant breeding and seed technology. The Netherlands is globally leading in this area. Companies in Seed Valley have their R&D and production facilities spread over 69 locations in 35 countries on all continents and in all climate zones. 5 (Bayer, Bejo Zaden, Enza Zaden, Hazera en Syngenta) out of the 10 world’s largest vegetable seed producers have their headquarters or R&D centre located in Seed Valley.