How it all started
Bold and passionate for nearly 60 years
HOW WE GREW INTO A GROUP
In 1965, seed producers in central France, who had already joined forces as a farming cooperative, decided to invest in research to create high-performance corn varieties and add value to their region’s produce. Limagrain was born and the adventure began. We expanded gradually, always combining local and international growth.
- 2022Limagrain opens the Saint-Ignat wheat mill (France)Ingredients
- 2022Establishes pea and lentil research partnership with Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (Canada)Field Seeds
- 2020Creates two joint ventures in Africa with partner Seed Co: Seed Co West and Central Africa (Ghana) and Limagrain Zaad South Africa (South Africa)Field Seeds
- 2018Acquires Unicorn (Netherlands)Ingredients
- 2018Acquires Sursem (Argentina) and Geneze (Brazil)Field Seeds
- 2018Acquires AvanSeed (Denmark)Vegetable Seeds
- 2018Acquires Graines Gondian (France)Garden Products
- 2016Acquires Genica Research Corporation (United States)Vegetable Seeds
- 2015Establishes a cereal breeding research partnership with and acquires a stake in Canterra Seeds (Canada)Field Seeds
- 2015Creates Hengji Limagrain Seeds joint-venture (China)Field Seeds
- 2015Acquires Tropdicorp (Vietnam)Vegetable Seeds
- 2014Acquires Seed Asia (Thailand)Field Seeds
- 2013Acquires Shamrock (United States and Mexico)Vegetable Seeds
- 2013Acquires Bisco Bio Sciences (India)Field Seeds
- 2012Opens Chappes Research CenterField Seeds
- 2012Acquires Campbell’s Seed (United States) and Century Seeds (India)Vegetable Seeds
- 2011Founds Genective (France) with seeds group KWSField Seeds
- 2011Acquires Brossard (France)Bakery & Pastry Products
- 2011Acquires Brasmilho and Sementes Guerra (Brazil)Field Seeds
- 2010Limagrain takes Field Seeds into new territoriesCreates Limagrain Asia-Pacific and Limagrain South America—renamed Limagrain Americas in 2022.Field Seeds
- 2010Creates Limagrain Asia-Pacific and Limagrain South America—renamed Limagrain Americas in 2022.Field Seeds
- 2008Establishes a wheat breeding research partnership with and acquires a stake in Australian Grain Technologies (Australia)Field Seeds
- 2007Acquires Mikado and founds Mikado Kyowa Seed (Japan)Vegetable Seeds
- 2005Acquires Advanta Europe (Europe)Field Seeds
- 2003Creates Limagrain EuropeField Seeds
- 2003Acquires Hazera (Israel)Vegetable Seeds
- 2002Opens Innovation Quality Research Center (France)Bakery & Pastry Products
- 2002Creates Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (France)—renamed Limagrain Ingredients in 2019Ingredients
- 2000Creates AgReliant Genetics joint-venture (North America) with German seeds group KWSField Seeds
- 2000Acquires Kyowa (Japan)Vegetable Seeds
- 1997Creates Biogemma (France)
- 1996Acquires Clause (France) and Harris Moran (United States)Vegetable Seeds
- 1995Limagrain consolidates its agri-food chain businessesBakery & Pastry Products
- 1993Lists Vilmorin & Cie on the stock market
- 1992Creates Ulice research center (France)Ingredients
- 1990Limagrain starts investing in wheatField Seeds
- 1989Founds Oxadis (France)—renamed Vilmorin Jardin in 2012Garden Products
- 1986Limagrain expands into biotechnologiesCreates Biocem (France)Field Seeds
- 1983Limagrain launches its agri-food chain businessIngredients
- 1979Limagrain expands into North AmericaLaunches first research station in the United StatesField Seeds
- 1975Limagrain diversifies into vegetable seedsAcquires Vilmorin (France)Vegetable Seeds
- 1970LG 11, the famous corn variety, is registered in the official catalogue of plant species and varieties grown in FranceField Seeds
- 1965Limagrain is foundedCooperative Activities