Seed specialist firm Germinal is to focus on forage and amenity markets – and cease operating in the cereal sphere as part of a restructuring of the company.

In a statement today (Wednesday, May 5) the firm announced the restructuring of its Irish business, which will see the business concentrate on its “core specialism” – grass and forage seeds for agriculture and amenity customers.

It will cease the production and marketing of cereal varieties in the Irish market with effect from January 1, 2022.

The move follows “significant investments” in grass and forage breeding and research, the company says.

These include: Employing a team of breeders embedded at IBERS Aberystwyth; investments at the Germinal research station in England, and establishing a new research station in New Zealand.

It also consolidates the merger of the Germinal NI and Ireland businesses, which was announced in January.

Germinal claimed the new focus will “drive forward research and product development”, with the company “sharing its expertise to enable farmers to achieve a greener, more resilient net zero future for ruminant livestock agriculture”.

Commenting on the developments Germinal’s group managing director William Gilbert said:

“This development will simplify our business and allow us to focus our specialist knowledge and experience in forage and grass seed for the benefit of our customers.

“Building on the significant investment we have already made into our facilities in Tipperary, and into our forage research facilities, we will also look to strengthen our team further, recruiting new personnel for specialist positions, as we focus on delivering climate-smart forage solutions to help farmers drive productivity and profitability.”