Syngenta to invest 15 million in Dutch back-cross factory

Breeding company Syngenta will invest EUR 15 million in its location in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands. The company will set up a new R&D facility, a so-called back-cross factory for vegetable seeds.

In this new facility, it is possible under the right conditions to cross over important properties for vegetable crops, such as disease resistance. In the back-cross factory, the process of crossing over can be accelerated and further automated, so that high quality vegetable seeds can be brought to the market faster.

This investment follows an earlier investment of EUR 21 million from 2016 to build a new R&D Technology Center for vegetable seeds in Enkhuizen. This new R&D Technology Center is expected to be opened by the end of this year.

Peter Acda, Head of the Syngenta branch in Enkhuizen: "With this investment we can create a state-of-the-art R&D facility here in Enkhuizen. It’ll help us get new products to our growers faster. At Syngenta we have a long history in vegetable seed innovation. We provide the consumer with fresh vegetables of high quality and excellent flavor throughout the year."

This year Syngenta celebrates its 150th anniversary. The history of the company dates back to the incorporation of Sluis & Groot in 1867 in neighboring Andijk. Today Syngenta is globally a top 3 player in the seed breeding industry. Enkhuizen is Syngenta's largest vegetable seed branch worldwide with more than 550 employees. In the Netherlands, Syngenta offers permanent employment to more than 800 employees in seven locations.