Axereal and Florimond Desprez, the founders of Isterra Kft., have been working together on the Hungarian market since 2003. In recent years, Isterra has become one of Hungary's leading producers and distributors of the seeds of malting barley (winter and spring varieties) and winter cereals (wheat, durum wheat, feed barley and triticale). Axereal and the malt producing company Boortmalt owned by it have achieved full production integration.
FLORIMOND DESPREZ - BREEDING AND TRADE
Florimond Desprez is an independent French family company, active on the seed market for almost 200 years. Florimond Desprez is the eleventh largest seed company in the world.
The most important crops bred by the company are winter and spring cereals, potato, sugar beet and chicory.
Florimond Desprez is active in 65 countries globally, having subsidiaries in 35 ones. Its mission is to breed new varieties with a high yield potential through breeding activities that always consider agronomic, technological and environmental aspects and to produce seeds utilising the latest developments in various sectors of agriculture.
15% of the company's turnover is devoted to research. Molecular markers, sequencing, genotype mapping and high-throughput phenotyping are all incorporated into our breeding activities which apply state-of-the-art techniques and tools.
AXEREAL HUNGARY
Axereal is the largest cereal-producing cooperative group in France. It has been active in Hungary since 2002. In 2006, the group consolidated its presence in the region by the acquisition of the Dunaújváros malting plant. Its main activities include the production of malting barley, wheat, waxy maize and soybean, the sale of input materials (granulated fertilisers, foliar fertilisers, other seeds such as soybean, sorghum and waxy maize), seed trade and the providion agricultural consulting services and precision technology solutions for its farming partners.
Axereal Hungary's contract farming business includes the sale and production of seeds of malting barley, wheat, waxy maize and soybean varieties. Certified seeds are produced in a closed system and sold in sealed packages.
Axereal Hungary Kft. is the market leader in the production of malting barley in Hungary. Its strategic partner is Isterra Kft., a member of the Axereal Group and active as a regional seed producer, and Boortmalt Kft., a malting plant also belonging to the Axereal Group. Axereal Hungary Kft. helps the work of its partners with a full range of solutions, regarding both the production of malting barley seeds accepted and demanded by the brewing industry and sale of the actual yields.
WHEAT BREEDING IN HUNGARY
Isterra Central-Europe Ltd. launched its independent Central European Regional Wheat Breeding programme in the autumn of 2012. The Programme is an integral part of Florimond Desprez's wheat breeding scheme, with Isterra employees working in close cooperation with their breeding colleagues from the parent company. Our own knowledge and experience are hence combined with the knowledge of a company that has been breeding plants for more than 200 years. The breeding programme has been now expanded to 20 hectares.
The centre of the Central European Wheat Improvement Programme is in Füzesabony, in the Northern Great Plain region of Hungary. In addition to the centre, an extensive national and international network with 14 trial sites in 6 countries supports the successful implementation of the breeding programme.
Florimond Desprez contributes with their world-class professional background and state-of-the-art breeding techniques (that nevertheless do not involve genetic engineering) to the breeding programme. The aim of ISTERRA's selection activities is to develop, introduce and distribute new varieties that are best adapted to the environmental, climatic and economic conditions of the region, using Central European varieties of the greatest genetic value and Florimond Desprez's own lines.
SEED PRODUCTION
Our activities are essentially based on our closed seed production system. We work with more than 40 breeding farms throughout the country. In many cases, our partners are able to produce as much as 9 tonnes of certified and sealed seed of excellent quality on a hectare, applying sphisticated production standards. Quality seed processing is another key to premium seed products. In the last two years, the germination rate of our Grade II seeds was over 95% on average. Isterra Central-Europe Ltd. buys all the seeds produced by its partners. Thus, our distributors are always served from our own stock and in turn provide for precise and fast logistics to deliver the seeds to growers on time.
SALES
The achievements of the past 15 years speak for themselves. We supply growers with excellent wheat varieties such as Cellule and Basilio (both distributed by KITE), becoming increasingly popular due to their high yields, adaptability and outstanding disease resistance. Cellule has become one of the most widely propagated varieties in Hungary. Basilio is a champion wheat in Central Europe, being early, having excellent milling quality and producing yields well over 10 t/ha.
Among the newest varieties, the early wheat variety Complice (marketed by IKR) with its high hectolitre mass should be highlighted.
This year's novelties Concret and Mutic are mid-early varieties that combine lodging and disease resistance with outstanding yields.
It is not only our wheat portfolio that has been extended. Our newest high yielding winter feed barley Leopard is an excellent choice for those looking for productive variety with excellent lodging resistance and good tillering capacity.
For triticale growers, we offer Trisem, a new member of the range maturing earlier than any other variety and having excellent disease resistance.
The combination of high germination rates, quality seed dressing, excellent tillering capacity and high yields guarantees outstanding yields by low seeding rates for all our varieties.
