KWS puts new production plant for sugarbeet seeds into operation

In a first step, storage capacity was increased significantly last year, and a new logistics and storage center was built. Next in line was the construction of a production plant in which the new system for treatment and packaging was installed and has now been fully commissioned. This new plant offers significant improvements in terms of flexibility, efficiency and quality and includes many of KWS’s own innovations. For example, the seeds are transported from one process step to the next completely automatically in large, funnel-shaped containers called silo boxes, and stored pre-process in a high-bay storage system. Cameras ensure that the boxes are emptied completely to maintain varietal purity.

Sustainability and resource-efficient processes also played an important role in the design: Substances (seed treatment products) that are not used up completely in one project are piped back to the tanks using an innovative tube system and used for the next suitable job, thus avoiding waste. The plant is cleaned mainly with process water and now has a heat recovery system.

Capacity of the production plant has increased by over 30 percent. In parallel set-up times have been reduced and faster job changes are possible. “With our investment decision, we are meeting several changes in requirements: The segmentation of the sugarbeet market is continuing, and our customers' ordering behavior is influenced by many factors. For instance, more varieties are ordered in smaller batches. In addition, our customers would like to order later and receive their orders as soon as possible,” explains Dr. Peter Hofmann, Member of the Executive Board responsible for the Sugar Beet Business Unit. “KWS has also succeeded in expanding its market share for sugarbeet seeds. At the same time, our diversity of varieties is growing. Thus, the new production plant is also used to produce seeds for the CONVISO^® SMART technology, which offers farmers new options for efficient weed control.”

The final element in the investment package is an additional seed pelleting system scheduled for commissioning next year. “We are making a significant investment in sugarbeets and, at the same time, in our Einbeck site,” Hofmann says.

KWS is world market leader for sugarbeet seeds. Every year, over 60 million euros are invested in research and development so that robust and high-yield varieties can be developed, and the competitiveness of sugarbeet cultivation can be increased further. Sugarbeets have numerous agricultural advantages, such as an active contribution to soil and water protection as well as a good nutritional balance and they play an important role in crop rotation.