Belfast-headquartered Germinal marks 200 years in business with special partner dinner at one of the seed industry’s biggest international events
5th Dec 2025
Euroseeds 2025 in Edinburgh is a much-anticipated diary date for the international seed industry, welcoming business leaders from across the world.
Grass and forage seed pioneers, Germinal, brought its 200th anniversary celebrations to Edinburgh recently as it hosted an evening reception and dinner for international partners in the seed trade at Euroseeds 2025.
The event was hosted by Belfast-headquartered Germinal to thank its long-standing business partners from across the world, while briefing guests on the company’s latest research priorities and product pipeline for climate-smart agriculture.
Euroseeds 2025 is the flagship annual conference for the European and global seed industry, and took place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
Founded in Belfast in 1825 and operating across the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, with its forage and amenity varieties available globally through a network of distribution partners, Germinal was also a sponsor of Euroseeds 2025 and collaborates with partners in more than 25 countries.
The company is part of the Openfolde group which employs around 108 people across six sites, including headquarters in Belfast, and at facilities in Lincoln (England), Horse & Jockey, Co. Tipperary (Ireland). Its R&D division, Germinal Horizon, is embedded at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University in Wales, with an additional research site based in Wiltshire.
The Edinburgh reception, undoubtedly one of the highlights of Euroseeds 2025, gathered more than 100 seed industry professionals and featured a short address from Chairman of Germinal and Managing Director of Openfolde, William Gilbert, who reflected on the company’s colourful two-century history in the seed trade, alongside updates on current R&D, product innovation and market outlook.
Speaking at the event William Gilbert said:
“Two hundred years on from our founding in Belfast, our purpose is unchanged: practical science that helps end users such as farmers and turf professionals get more from grass, sustainably. Euroseeds gathers the leaders of the global seeds industry in one place, so it’s the perfect opportunity to thank our partners and set out where Germinal is heading in the decades ahead.”
William, who is a direct descendant of Germinal founder, Samuel McCausland, added:
“Relationships are everything in this industry. The partners joining us in Edinburgh span multiple continents and decades of collaboration. This evening is about celebrating that network and the practical innovations we’re co-developing together to support profitability, biodiversity and lower on-farm emissions. It’s also a chance to mark Germinal’s major 200-year milestone together.”
The partner event forms part of Germinal’s 200th anniversary programme, following a Belfast celebration in July and the launch of its new Climate Smart products earlier this year. That launch includes five innovative mixture ranges designed to help farms reduce emissions, improve resilience, and deliver consistent performance in varied conditions.
