The Pannar Group has confirmed its acquisition of Pau Seeds, Inc. from Bayer CropScience S.A. The transfer of ownership took effect on January 14, 2005.

This acquisition has strengthened Pannar’s existing hybrid corn research and breeding efforts in the US through the addition of Pau Seeds’ four mature corn breeding programmes in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. The addition of the Pau Seeds corn genetics and infrastructure will also provide positive spin-offs for Pannar’s various seed business activities in Europe, Africa, and South America.

The Pannar Group was established in South Africa in 1958 and has grown to become the largest seed group in Africa, covering a wide range of field crop and vegetable seeds. The Group owns seed companies in nine African countries as well as in the USA and Argentina, and carries out plant breeding and research activities in Africa, Europe, the USA, and Argentina. Its retail seed arm in the USA is Pannar Seed, Inc. (which sells under the brand name Kaystar Seed), headquartered in Huron, South Dakota.