DLF-TRIFOLIUM Group, the Danish based and farmer owned grass seeds group with an annual turnover of approx. €270 million, consolidates its position as the world’s largest grass seed company through its acquisition of Advanta Seeds’ grass seed activities within research, field production, seed conditioning and wholesale. The seller is Limagrain-Verneuil Holding, part of Groupe Limagrain, the French based and farmer owned seeds group with an annual turnover of approx. €1.1 billion, which in a simultaneous deal acquires the arable crops business of DLF-TRIFOLIUM Group out side Denmark.

The take over of Advanta Seeds’ grass and clover business comprises of an annual sale of approx. 20,000 tonnes of clover and grass seeds equal to a market share of around 10 pct. of the West European market.

The transactions, which are founded in the strategic plans of the DLF-TRIFOLIUM Group, constitute, for the DLF-TRIFOLIUM Group:

• a focusing on core business; and
• a strengthening of distribution network, as Limagrain-Verneuil Holding continues to distribute a range of DLF-TRIFOLIUM’s grass seed varieties in important Western European markets, for certain varieties on an exclusive basis.

In addition, DLF-TRIFOLIUM takes over the majority stake in the French company Top Green, following which DLF-TRIFOLIUM controls 66,6% and Vilmorin, a Limagrain controlled company, controls 33,3%. Top Green has a leading position in the French professional amenity market.

“The acquisition of the grass seeds activities of Advanta Seeds complements our product portfolio and allows us to further benefit from economics of scale for the benefit of our owners and customers,” says Truels Damsgaard, CEO of the DLF-TRIFOLIUM Group.