Seminis has four onion breeding stations worldwide which gives a broad spectrum of material to breed with and address the needs of regional markets like South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Seminis is expanding its onion portfolio in these regions with the launch of new hybrid varieties and a R40 million breeding and Research Centre in Pukekohe, New Zealand.

New hybrid varieties like the recently introduced Korimako are performing significantly better than traditional open pollinated (OP) varieties in terms of bolting tolerance, skin colour, storability and the high production of first grade bulbs.

Seminis has a large stable of parents which makes it easier to develop new hybrids to adapt to changing environmental or market circumstances as well as the emergence of new pests and diseases.

A lot of excitement has been created about the progress seen from the new varieties at the Seminis Pukokohe breeding station in both the early and late season hybrids with a strong pipeline of onion products in development. These onions will be game-changers once they’re commercially available, and will provide real advantages to growers.