Corporate News January 2005

AgReliant, the joint venture between KWS and Limagrain in North America, is further expanding its market position in the world’s largest single market for corn seed. At the end of December 2004, AgReliant acquired the Nebraska-based seed company Producers Hybrids, which focuses on producing and marketing corn and soybean seed in its key market of Nebraska and neighboring U.S. states.

Producers Hybrids is a growing seed company in the western corn belt region of the U.S. It generates sales of around US$ 25 million. This acquisition ideally complements the existing strong market position of AgReliant in the eastern and northern corn belt. AgReliant now has a total market share of more than 5 %, making it one of the substantial suppliers of corn seed in North America.

KWS is an international, independent plant breeding company that concentrates on the global seed markets for agricultural crops, with its focus on sugar beet, corn and cereals. KWS is represented in more than 65 countries around the world and has group sales of around €444 million.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Dr. Henning von der Ohe
Phone: +49 (0)5561/311-245
h.vonderohe@kws.de