KWS Group is an international plant breeding company headquartered in Einbeck, Germany, and is one of the world´s leading seed suppliers.

• KWS is one of the world’s leading plant breeding companies.

• Around 5,000 employees* in over 70 countries generated net sales of around €1.68 billion in fiscal year 2024/2025.

  *Excluding seasonal workers

• A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for 170 years.

• It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for sugarbeet, corn, cereals, vegetables, oilseed rape and sunflowers.

• KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield for farmers and plants’ resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested approximately €350 million in fiscal year 2024/2025 in research and development.

KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA is the parent company of the KWS Group. It is a strategic leader and manages the propagation and distribution of sugarbeet and corn seed, along with other crops. It finances basic research and the breeding of the variety portfolio of the KWS Group, and annually provides its subsidiaries with new varieties for propagation and distribution.

KWS seed products are available through authorized dealers, distributors, local KWS sales organizations, and agricultural partners worldwide. Depending on the crop, country, and local market structure, seeds may be supplied through direct sales teams, distributors, cooperatives, nurseries, retailers, or specialized dealer networks.

In selected countries, customers can also purchase seeds directly through KWS online shops or reserve seed products via local KWS websites.

To find the best purchasing option, growers can:

• Contact local KWS representatives or sales organizations
• Visit regional KWS websites and country pages
• Purchase through authorized agricultural suppliers and distributors
• Use available KWS online shops or seed reservation platforms where offered

Visit the KWS online shops:

• Germany (Sugarbeet)
• Austria (Sugarbeet)
• Denmark (Sugarbeet, Catch Crops, Hybrid Rye, Corn, Oilseed Rape)
• Poland (Sugarbeet, Catch Crops, Hybrid Rye, Oilseed Rape)
• Italy (Catch Crops, Silage Additives)
• Sweden (Sugarbeet, Feedbeet, Catch Crops, Oilseed Rape)

In addition you can reserve seeds directly on the KWS website in some countries:

• Romania (Sugarbeet)
• Serbia (Sugarbeet)
• Slovakia (Sugarbeet)
• Czech Republic (Sugarbeet)
• Italy (Sugarbeet)

The management at KWS consists of two committees:

• The Executive Board
• The Supervisory Board

What are tasks of the two committees?

The Executive Board manages the company independently and conducts business with third parties.

The Supervisory Board appoints, advises and controls the Executive Board in accordance with the provisions of the German Corporate Governance Code.

Both committees discuss current situations and business development, market trends and the competitive environment, strategic orientation, and corporate risk topics and risk management system activities, on a continuous and forward-looking basis.

Who else is involved?

As a subcommittee of the Supervisory Board, the Audit Committee monitors the annual financial accounts and the financial statements of KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA, the consolidated financial statements of the KWS Group, and the quarterly reports for respective fiscal years.

What is KWS vision and mission?

KWS is a family company, with majority ownership held by family shareholders, enabling long-term, independent decision making. That allows the company to think in generations, not in quarters.

The long-term orientation influences the strategy by enabling:

• long investment cycles (essential in plant breeding, which can take 8–10 years per variety),
• patience in R&D and innovation,
• strategic decisions that prioritize long‑term value creation over short‑term financial optimization.

KWS Group operates in over 70 countries worldwide. KWS products are available via KWS entity or via external partners depending on market and crop. Get in contact with your local entity to get further information.

KWS‘ seed offer for livestock farmers is called Seed2FEED. With Seed2FEED, KWS combines many years of expertise in plant breeding with a deep understanding of the needs of livestock farmers. Here we test our varieties not only in the field, but also in their use as feed. Key products are:

• Corn: Energy from starch and fiber-digestibility

• Feedbeet: The sweet energy source that delivers outstanding palatability

• Hybrid Rye: Strong agronomic features, an excellent source of protein (green rye) and positive impact on health

• In addition, wheat and barley varieties also play an important role for the feeding operation of livestock farmers. Each crop probides certain benefits in the ration for various animals.

Here is an overview:

Yes. KWS offers seed treatment solutions for selected crops through KWS INITIO - Sugarbeet, Corn, Hybrid Rye, Oilseed Rape, Sorghum and Spinach. Others will follow.

These solutions are designed to support germination, crop establishment, root development, crop health, and stress resilience. Depending on the crop and market, seed treatments may help protect young plants from diseases and pests while supporting early growth and overall crop performance.

KWS views new breeding methods such as genome editing as a valuable, research‑driven way to develop crop varieties that better support sustainable agriculture.

These methods allow breeders to make very precise and targeted changes in a plant’s DNA - changes that could also occur naturally through spontaneous mutations or conventional breeding, but much faster and with greater accuracy. This helps KWS develop varieties with traits such as improved pest and disease resistance, more stable yields under climate stress, and better nutrient efficiency.

With the EU’s new regulatory framework for New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), KWS expects that genome editing can gradually move from research into product development, complementing our existing breeding methods and enabling faster and more efficient breeding while staying as close to natural processes as possible.

KWS operates within a clear strategic framework designed to secure profitable and sustainable growth by focusing on three core ambitions: leading in field crops, building new long‑term growth businesses, and advancing trait development and breeding.

The company targets 3–5% organic sales growth, an EBITDA margin of 19–21%, and a 25–30% dividend payout ratio as part of this disciplined strategy.

KWS leverages deep crop expertise and a broad portfolio to strengthen its leadership in key field crops such as sugarbeet, corn, and cereals, ensuring customer‑centric support across the crop-rotation cycle. Innovation is central to KWS's vision, with significant investments in genome editing and hybridization to enhance seed development processes.

At the same time, KWS expands future growth engines - including vegetables and food ingredients - by applying breeding excellence to rising consumer needs and plant‑based markets.

Underpinning all ambitions is a forward‑driven commitment to accelerating breeding progress, scaling innovation, and continuously enhancing trait development to meet global agricultural challenges sustainably.

KWS brings its long experience in plant breeding into the area of food ingredients by developing specially bred yellow peas for high‑quality plant‑based foods.

The idea is simple: when traits like taste, texture, and processing behavior are improved already at the seed level, food producers can work with better ingredients from the start. To achieve this, KWS works closely with manufacturers to identify the pea lines that best fit their products.

The result is natural, functional, and locally produced protein solutions that make it easier to create good plant‑based foods.

KWS offers myKWS - a free digital service platform for farmers. myKWS support farmers with expert knowledge, tools, and seasonal recommendations to help optimize cultivation decisions from sowing to harvest.

Key characteristics:

• Free to use - web and mobile app
• region- and crop-specific
• designed to complement on-farm consulting and field service

Tool overview:

1. Digital crop and field managment tools:

• Variety selector tools to identify suitable KWS varieties for site-specific conditions
• Seed rate calculators and sowing tools
• Variable-rate sowing tools based on satellite data
• Digital field management and crop vitality monitoring using satellite imagery (e.g. NDVI)

2. Satellite imagery & crop monitoring

• Monitor crop development and vitality
• Identify spatial differences within fields
• Support site-specific management decisions

3. Seasonal alerts and expert information

• Email and in-app notifications on relevant agronomic topics
• Seasonal recommendations based on crop stage and regional conditions
• Access to technical articles and expert knowledge from KWS

KWS is offering its Digital Solution Platform myKWS also as an app version. The myKWS App delivers all functionalities.

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This page provides factual information about KWS SAAT SE & Co.KGaA, its role within the KWS Group, products, services and organizational relationships.