Having recently acquired the Deleplanque Group, including Strube and Van Waveren entities, plus Syngenta’s malting barley seeds business, what does this mean for RAGT’s strategic direction? CPM finds out what the future holds for the plant breeder.
“The investment from RAGT to fund the recent acquisitions shows a commitment to its future as well as the plant breeding sector.” RICHARD COGMAN
By Janine Adamson
There will always be shuffles in the agricultural supply industry – from individuals taking on new career opportunities to shifts in market share from acquisitions and mergers, it’s an ever-evolving sector that in many ways can’t afford to stand still.
Although in some cases this means companies having to face significant challenges, it can also result in hope and opportunity, believes RAGT’s managing director, Helen Wilson.
While some might perceive this as blind optimism, there have in fact been a series of events that power her enthusiasm for the future – RAGT’s acquisition of the Deleplanque Group, closely followed by the acquisition of Syngenta’s malting barley seeds business.
Both occurring within just 12 months of each other means not only has RAGT gained valuable breeding lines and expertise for the UK market, but it’s also integrated major new species into its portfolio – strengthening global presence and further enriching its skillset and capability.
Helen admits that it’s been a year of significant change across the board. “However, it’s now time for development and moving forward, and we’re genuinely excited for what lies ahead,” she comments. “We’ve not only expanded RAGT’s offer, but we also have the correct team in place to support that vision and to help achieve our goals.”
It was April 2025 when RAGT announced the completion of the Deleplanque Group acquisition, which included the Strube and Van Waveren entities. Recognised as a key player in the sugar beet and vegetable seed sectors throughout Europe and globally, Helen says the move has enabled RAGT to access valuable new breeding material.
“RAGT has been a multi-species plant breeder for a long time – this is nothing new – but sugar beet has been missing from the portfolio. Having identified it as a key strategic crop, the opportunity to purchase the Deleplanque group came up at the perfect time.”
Helen points out that despite sugar beet not being the largest of cropping markets, it offers much value across the rotation for growers. With the Strube genetics in particular on-board, RAGT will be able to develop and offer varieties with innovative disease and nematode resistance mechanisms. “This has the potential to really challenge the scope of existing varieties,” she highlights.
On the face of it, integrating the two businesses at a UK-level has been relatively simple, she adds, although for global colleagues it will take longer due to wider complexities and larger teams.
Having joined the UK team around a year ago as part of the acquisition, Richard Cogman says he’s excited to translate the expertise of Strube to RAGT as the collective brand grows. “RAGT as a name is relatively new in the world of sugar beet, but the knowledge and skill now driving it forward certainly is not.
“It feels encouraging, and the level of investment from RAGT to fund the recent acquisitions shows a commitment to its future as well as the overall plant breeding sector.”
From his perspective, Richard says the integration of Strube has gone well so far with a lot of synergies between the two companies. “RAGT is funded and owned by farmers which is similar to Strube, so we’ve remained close to our roots and core strategy.
“This is important because we must be aligned with grower demands and end user markets, to ensure new breeding material continues to address future challenges while maintaining yield.
“RAGT has a great group of people behind it with plenty of opportunities across both geographies and species, focussing on the future to deliver results for growers.”
He adds that the strategy will continue to centre on finding varietal solutions that build on yield in the presence of current and future pests and disease threats, offered at a competitive, realistic price-point.
“In the wake of evolving pathogens, this could mean exploring new multi-gene resistance mechanisms; the past year with yellow rust alone has shown how critical it is to not rely on single-gene resistance. This is how we boost the confidence of growers in our future breeding material,” he says.
Shortly after the news about the Deleplanque Group came an announcement stating RAGT had acquired Syngenta’s malting barley seeds business. As well as gaining respected 2-row varieties such as Laureate and SY Tennyson, this also included Syngenta’s Market Stainton research centre in Lincolnshire and 11 associated employees.
Among those making the move across was malting barley specialist, Tracy Creasy. She says while it’s been a fast-paced few months, there’s a ‘real buzz’ among colleagues. “In combining Syngenta’s malting barley business with the existing RAGT programme, it’s been possible to build something even bigger and more exciting than the sum of its parts.”
Despite this rapid shift in pace, according to Tracy, it’s business as usual for existing customers and maltsters, with all seed orders and crops now with RAGT. “It should be a seamless transition, continuing the excellence while building confidence.”
Then looking to the future, there’s scope to develop new malting barley varieties for the UK market, she adds. “RAGT is a crop-focussed business and therefore a specialist in plant breeding. The acquisition has meant there’s room to enhance the existing suite of varieties and ensure succession material – I believe it’s been the perfect business move.”
Considering the Market Stainton research centre, Tracy points out that there’s an air of positivity there, too. “Everyone is pleased to be part of the RAGT family.
“Ultimately, the acquisition hasn’t been about simply gaining breeding material, it’s the expertise and relationships with maltsters and end users, which forms a significant part of the success of a variety. The team at Market Stainton is world-class and best in their field so providing them with security has been a critical factor,” she stresses.
Furthermore, Helen agrees that the difference in morale is marked. “Everyone has gelled together instantly,” she comments.
Managing director of PX Farms and popular YouTuber, James Peck, recently visited RAGT’s research centre at Ickleton. He says the initial driver behind his videos was to showcase the areas of agriculture which often remain unseen, such as plant breeding.
According to James, individuals such as those at Ickleton are unsung heroes, as without them, growers wouldn’t be able to farm. He concurs that there’s an ‘upbeat vibe’ and overall positivity at the site. “I was impressed – the team demonstrates their knowledge through patience, diligence and dedication; there’s a lot of skill there that would be incredibly hard to replace.”
Growing 5000ha of combinable crops including wheat, barley, oats, mustard, peas and beans, James adds that RGT Skyfall has become his favourite wheat variety, growing it since 2013. The farm also grows malting barley, RGT Planet, and winter wheat, RGT Hexton.
With this in mind, he believes it’s important to have companies that continue to invest in British agriculture, specifically, varietal innovation. “There’s always a concern that globally, the focus tends to be on soyabean and corn, rather than wheat and barley. So without breeders committing to the future, UK varieties will become old and unviable.
“However, through its recent acquisitions, RAGT is clearly taking the opportunities that arise and will hopefully make gains, there’s little for it to lose. It’s pleasing to see that it’s continuing to invest in the industry and share that with British farmers and beyond.”
Richard highlights that as it stands today, following the recent changes, RAGT has a hugely diverse species portfolio at both a local and global scale. “We want to be the go-to partner for all things seed and more.
“Agriculture is a sector that finds itself under increasing pressure, yet there’s a degree of underlying optimism. I like to believe that this is being driven by innovation in plant breeding,” he concludes.
This article was taken from the latest issue of CPM. Read the article in full here.
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