KWS SAAT SE

KWS SAAT SE is a European independent and family-owned company based in Germany that focuses on plant breeding, with activities in about 70 countries. KWS is the fifth largest seed producer worldwide based on sales.[3] The product range includes seed varieties for sugar beet, corn, cereals, rapeseed and potatoes.

The capital letters "K," "W" and "S" in the name KWS stand for Klein Wanzlebener Saatzucht, which means seed breeding from Klein Wanzleben. The company’s original headquarters were in Klein Wanzleben, an East German town located near the city of Magdeburg.

Its main markets are in the temperate climate zones of Europe, North and South America as well as North Africa and Asia. KWS has a network of more than 30 breeding stations, 130 testing stations and around 60 subsidiaries. In 1954, the company went public on the Hamburg-Hannover Stock Exchange and has been on the SDAX list of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since June 2006.