Who owns and controls UK seed companies?

[bazzaboy]

I was recently told that all UK seeds are now controlled by two concerns… is that true? It’s certainly a complex picture…

Dobies is now “owned by” Tesco – see:
http://www.business-sale.com/tesco-b...12590841A.html

and Dobies is the parent company of Suttons - e.g. if you look at the potato pages of their respective websites they are identical in product, prices, wording and even code numbers….: see:
http://www.dobies.co.uk/pl_Potatoes_.htm
http://www.suttons.co.uk/pl_Potatoes_.htm

Marshalls (one of my favourites until recently and which I assumed to be relatively local to me) seemed to suddenly go through “re-organisation” (= a measure of disorganisation) and for a short while “Unwins” appeared in their postal address but subsequently disappeared. I then learned that the Unwins take-over had happened some time before and that Westland of Northern Ireland had taken over both Unwins and Marshalls…
http://www.gardenhealth.com/page/company_information
I’ve no idea who owns or controls Westland…. (There’s also a U.S. based Westland Seed company but I don’t know if they’re related.) Globalisation…

Then there’s Mr Fothergills, where does Mr F fit in…?

Then there’s a complex layer of apparently independent seed suppliers - Real Seed Co, Chilterns Seed, Fruit and Veg Company, a growing number of organic concerns esp HDRA/Organics, CHASE etc, all producing seeds in their own packaging (but presumably under licence?)

And then to round it all off, tee-hee, there’s E.U. legislation…

Well I’m well confused…. Can anyone make any sense of this? Who’s Big Brother?

bb

[nick nack]

Bazzaboy

Tescos have bought Dobbies which is a chain of Garden Centres not Dobies the seed company.

NN

[Palustris]

And since a lot of the seeds are grown abroad and often by one person, you can understand why when one company reports a crop failure, so do all the others.

[Alice]

Good question Bazzaboy. There was a previous dicussion related to this and this link should take you to it.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...seed+companies

[anthonyjb]

I have been told that Johnsons seeds are part of Mr Fothergill

[bazzaboy]

oops, apologies for the Dobies/Dobbies confusion, we don't have Dobbies round here (yet! ) So is Dobies (Seeds) still entirely independent? Many thanks for other thread Alice, excellent details revealed particularly relating to the organic organisations.

bb

=

[Phreddy]

Bazza,
There is a movement to save seed varieties, Real Seeds is one of the people involved. I would refer you to their site for a better explanation than I could give.
I have other refs if you would like.

Phreddy

[andrewo]

There's also the heritage seed bank, which you can join via HDRA.

[bazzaboy]

hi Phreddy and andrewo - many thanks for tips and responses. I have previously used Real Seeds - and have now looked more closely at the additional info on their site, useful, thanks. I've never joined HDRA's heritage seed bank because they don't seem to indicate on their site what's in it - but I think perhaps I will this year (for next) and find out! It's interesting to delve into such a complex area even though overall I think I'm "sympathetic organic" rather than "ardent". What dismays me more than chemicals are some of the marketing tricks and conveniences of commerce... - which is where my Q started. I understand (I think!) their motivations but wish it was simpler, more transparent and frankly more successful in solving some of the problems of our "global economy". The controls on seeds seems to be one small if fundamental part of a larger problem which rapidly escalates into the political field, wh-hey!

bb

[andrewo]

Also look at the National Vegetable Society, you used to get heritage seed through this too. All seed companies probably lead back to a man called Bob in Copenhagen who is very rich and doesn't care a fig about the planet but does have a lovely stack of TV Times from the 80s....

[Monday gardener]

Tesco's takeover of Dobbies

Dobbies is a company that owns many garden centres whereas Dobies/Suttons is the seed company - completely different company - different spelling!
Hope this clarifies things.

[SarzWix]

Hi Monday gardener, welcome to the Vine. Do you only garden on Monday?

As you may notice, this thread is over 3 years old, and someone else clarified the Dobbies/Dobies mistake further up ^^ there, but thank you for your addition.

[Jeanied]

How interesting - glad you resurrected this thread Monday gardener - I shall now look through my HSL and compare with some of the others mentioned above. I'm glad I picked up some seeds when I was in Spain as well!

[Headfry]

Who owns Kings Seeds? - the company NSALG uses

[zazen999]

I believe they are still privately owned. That's what is says when you goggle it anyway