Germinal New Zealand, part of the UK/Ireland-based Openfolde group, has operated in New Zealand since 2003. Supported by our customer base, we have grown our reputation with livestock producers for providing quality grass and outstanding clover varieties.
However, it has become clear that our grass breeding programme in New Zealand is not cost-effective for the Openfolde Group, and we have made the difficult decision to end our grass breeding efforts in NZ.
We remain committed to developing varieties of other forage species in New Zealand, including white clover, red clover, DoubleRoot clover, plantain, and others. Our grass breeding will continue in the UK, where we are a long-term market leader with significant plant breeding capabilities.
As part of a planned transition, Germinal New Zealand will continue to operate over the next six months. We have stocks available of our groundbreaking Aber High Sugar Grass varieties, our exclusive DoubleRoot clover, and red and white clover varieties and will service demand for these as normal. After this period, Germinal New Zealand Ltd will close.
Following the spring season, General Manager Simon Larsen, who has ably and positively led our business for the past three and a half years, will step down. Simon has made a significant contribution to Germinal New Zealand during his time with us, and we are immensely grateful for his leadership, dedication, and professionalism. We are proud to support him as he moves forward in his career.
Going forward, Germinal grass varieties will be available while stocks last, and the other species mentioned will be commercially available in New Zealand on an ongoing basis. We are working through future distribution options and will be grateful for your patience as those details are finalised.
We understand you may have questions as these changes come into effect, and we are committed to keeping you informed through further updates. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any queries.
Tel: 0800 171 825
Email: enquiries@germinal.co.nz