An international company perhaps best known in agriculture for its conventional crop protection products is making its first foray into the organic seed business.

Bayer has announced it will expand its vegetable seed offerings in early 2022 to include organically produced seeds for tomato, sweet pepper and cucumber under the Seminis and De Ruiter brands, then follow with tomato rootstock varieties in 2023. The seeds are geared to the greenhouse and glasshouse markets.

The German company, which currently sells biological as well as conventional fertilizers and crop protection materials, explains the move is a direct response to increased customer demand. Inci Dannenberg, Bayer’s president of global vegetable seeds, says adding organic seeds will make it easier for customers to choose the practices that best suit their farms.

“The trend from a consumer perspective is absolutely a growth market,” Dannenberg told Farm Progress. “Organics are growing faster overall in the fruit and vegetable space. As we look at markets, we want to provide genetics for whatever the preferences are for growers.”

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here.