Proximity, a key value for Sakata

Since the company was founded in 1913, Sakata has maintained the same goal: contributing to society through seeds and plants. To achieve this, being close to its customers and offering them varieties adapted to their local growing conditions and markets is a priority. Therefore, Sakata Seeds Corporation decided to open subsidiaries worldwide.

For its development in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa), the group first set up in the Netherlands as early as 1990, then expanded in different countries and moved its EMEA head office in the South of France in 2003.

Sakata vegetables EMEA is now dedicated to breeding, producing, and marketing high-quality vegetable seeds to growers and plant raisers throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Throughout Europe,
Middle East and, Africa

In less than 30 years, Sakata vegetables EMEA has developed its presence throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa with:

headquarters now based in Uchaud, in the south of France
subsidiaries established in the United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey and South Africa
offices in Russia and Jordan
research stations in France, the United Kingdom, Spain, South Africa, and Turkey
and a large technical and commercial presence throughout the EMEA region with remote employees

Local breeding
for the needs of local growers

Why set up local research stations?

In a world where agriculture is facing increasing challenges, Sakata’s mission is to equip growers and plant raisers with high-quality vegetable seeds tailored to growers’ soil and local climatic conditions.

Regional R&D programmes are supplemented by trials carried out directly on farmers’ premises in different countries in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Thus, thanks to Sakata’s local research and technical network, growers and plant raisers can choose from between 860 vegetable varieties and 24 crops.

High-performing
logistics facilities

Providing seeds in time is key to securing growers’ businesses. With this in mind, Sakata Vegetables EMEA constantly strives to improve its production and delivery times.

Major investments have recently been made to optimise lead time: factory extension of the Uchaud site (south of France) in 2016 and setting up a second logistics site in Les Ponts-de-Cé (north-west France) in 2018. This enabled Sakata Vegetables EMEA to deliver 1.8 million packets of seeds in 80 countries in Europe, Middle East, and Africa in 2023.

However, the company keeps looking further ahead to adapt its sites to tomorrow’s challenges and volumes.

People
make the difference

Sakata Vegetables EMEA’s success is due to its staff: 690 passionate people based in 24 different countries.

Passion is part of the company’s DNA. This key figure speaks for itself: with a +7% growth in its workforce over the last 5 years, Sakata Vegetables Europe is constantly expanding and attracting.

Want to know more about the history of Sakata vegetables EMEA?

1913: Foundation of Sakata in Japan
1990: Sakata Seed Europe opens in the Netherlands
1996: Sakata Seed Iberica opens in Spain
1996: Sakata Seed France opens
1996: Sakata UK opens
1998: Uchaud Research Station opens in France
1999: Sakata Polska opens in Poland
1999: Sakata Seed Southern Africa opens in South Africa
2003: Transfer of Sakata Europe headquarters to France
2006: Jordan Valley and Upland Research Stations open in Jordan
2008: Almeria and Murcia Research Stations open in Spain
2012: Sakata Tarim opens in Turkey
2016: New research facilities open at the Uchaud Research Centre
2017: Sakata acquires McAVET (Jordan)
2018: Sakata opens a second production site in the Angers region (Ponts-de-Cé) in France
2023: Sakata acquires Sana Seeds (Netherlands) to invest in the Dutch cucumber segment