Yates Ltd, the leader in Consumer gardening products and Commercial vegetable seed supply in Australia and New Zealand, has purchased Seminis Vegetable Seeds Inc’s 20% shareholding in Yates Vegetable Seeds. Yates Limited now has 100% ownership of Yates Vegetable Seeds effective 28/6/02.

Seminis, the world’s largest vegetable seed company, purchased the shareholding in Yates Vegetable Seeds when Yates were assisting Seminis to rationalise their distribution in Australia and New Zealand. Seminis purchased New World Seeds, which was then merged with Yates Vegetable Seeds. Yates continues as a distributor in Australia and New Zealand for Seminis Vegetable Seeds and continues to have joint breeding programs on vegetables such as Lettuce.

The acquisition of the shareholding by Yates Limited allows Yates to develop this business, especially through the improvement in Australia and New Zealand of vegetable breeding capability.

Both parties felt that the purchase of the shareholding by Yates was in their best interests. Both parties remain committed to working closely together in the future.

Yates is the leading consumer gardening and commercial horticultural branded goods company in Australia and New Zealand. It markets and distributes a range of branded horticultural products through its Yates Consumer, Yates Commercial and Yates Vegetable Seeds divisions. Established in 1883, Yates has one of the most highly recognised brands in Australia and is a respected leader in both the Australian and New Zealand gardening and horticultural markets. Yates’s headquarters are in Sydney and it has operations throughout Australasia."