An ambitious development strategy

Our vision

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Limagrain's roots are anchored in Auvergne, the homeland of the co-operative's members. From Auvergne the Group has spread its wings to become truly international. The Group's core business, field seeds and then vegetable seeds, is extended through the offer of cereal products.

 
Internationally, Limagrain develops its business through three activities: Field Seeds (€595 m), Vegetable Seeds and Garden Products (€592 m) and Cereal Products (€259 m). Today, the two seeds activities represent 76% of the Group's sales. Eventually, our aim is to considerably strengthen the Cereal Products activity in order to reach a good balance between the three activities.
 
 
Locally, the Co-operative relies on Limagrain Agro-Productions (€108 m) which coordinates all the activities of its members, thus participating in the development of their farms and valorization of their produce. Seed production requires an international dimension and heavy investment in research. As early as 1965, the date a corn breeding station was opened in Aubiat in the county of Puy-de-Dôme (France), Limagrain was devoting 10% of its sales to research. Since then, Limagrain has relentlessly invested, now exceeding this figure to reach 14% of its professional sales today.
 
In order to work closely with its markets and its clients, Limagrain organizes its activities in fourteen Business Units (BU):
- Five BUs in Field Seeds with Limagrain Europe, AgReliant Genetics (joint venture with KWS in North America), Limagrain Asia, Limagrain Cereal Seeds (world wheat) and Limagrain South America.
- Four BUs in Vegetable Seeds three of which, HM-Clause, Hazera Genetics – Nickerson-Zwaan and Vilmorin have an international scope, and one with a regional scope Mikado Kyowa Seed in Japan.
- Two BUs in Garden Products with Oxadis and Suttons.
- Two BUs in Cereal Products with Jacquet-Brossard and Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients.
- Limagrain Agro-Productions, the BU devoted to the activities of the co-op members.
 
Limagrain's strategy is ambitious. The objective is to reach sales of close to 2 billion Euros in the medium-term.
 
For the seeds activity, held by Vilmorin & Cie, the target consists in strengthening its competitive positions and pursuing the international development of its activities. Vilmorin & Cie is the No. 1 seeds company in Europe and No. 4 in the world, behind three agro-chemical companies. It is No. 2 worldwide for vegetable seeds and No. 5 for field seeds.
 
The ambitions for the Cereal Products activities, held by Jacquet and Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI), involve the creation of a high-performance European group, based on Limagrain's expertise in cereals. The Group is the European leader for functional flours through LCI, and the third largest French industrial baker through Jacquet. This year Jacquet's position was strengthened through the purchase of Brossard, a decisive step in the consolidation in France, considerably broadening its offer in the pastries segment.

Two questions for Jean-Yves Foucault, Chairman of Limagrain

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"We are a company of men and women and not of capital, a company with an original form of governance, respecting the principle “one man, one vote”. ... At the same time, Limagrain is a co-operative group that operates internationally. ... What is important for us today is to maximize return on our research investment. ..."

Suite

Sowers of the world : Didier

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Didier
Co-op member
Pont-du-Château (France)


 

 



The Co-operative gives support to the performance of our farms

“Choosing to work with the Co-operative is an expression of reciprocal trust between the members and their Co-operative. The model developed by Limagrain in Auvergne is somewhat unique because of the regional importance of the chains built up and the role of the members in the life and decisions of the Co-operative. Campaign after campaign, our production chains help us to smooth over price variations and guarantee average revenue at a fair level. Unlike a situation where there is no contractual link, as soon as we sow we know that we are going to get decent compensation for our work. It is a kind of insurance that is based on the long term. When you participate in this approach it also means you are individually involved in the Co-operative to support its development.”

 

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Auvergne cooperative

 

Limagrain