New $2 million onion breeding station in Pukekohe
A world-class $2 million onion breeding station has opened in Pukekohe, with state-of-the-art sheds, crop covers, and irrigation systems
The investment represents the Seminis global onion-breeding programme, supporting key markets, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Brazil. Seminis is the world’s largest developer and marketer of vegetable seeds.
The facility was opened by Dr Yossi Shapiro, Global Breeding Director for Large Seed/Root & Bulb/Brassica crops at Monsanto Vegetable Seeds, from the US.
"The Pukekohe station is already yielding significant results for Seminis onion growers in New Zealand, Australia, and further abroad. It adds an important dimension to Seminis’ global onion breeding network, both in terms of knowledge transfer and genetics," Dr Yossi says.
"Our investment in the new station demonstrates Seminis’ long-term commitment to Australian and New Zealand onion growers and to developing onion varieties that meet their needs and suit local conditions."
More than 40 growers from Australia and New Zealand attended the innovation day, along with key members of the global Seminis onion breeding team who travelled to New Zealand from the US, Brazil, and South America.
The Innovation Day gave growers the opportunity to see new Seminis hybrids and hear from experts where breeding efforts will be focused in future.
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