With the grant support CN Seeds was able to purchase a new seed treating machine, which will add value to seed products supplied by the company through offering a precision application of chemicals used to control disease and pests to the seed. This technology has environmental benefits and limits the amount of chemical spray growers need to use on their crops.
In addition to this, further investments were made in laboratory equipment which will be used to identify bacterial and fungal diseases on seed. This will allow CN Seeds to export more seed into countries with strict plant health requirements. The project resulted in three additional jobs created within the company’s plant breeding department and our seed treating operations.
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We continue to actively monitor the evolving situation, and will be following the latest Government advice and recommendations.
Please be assured that we remain focused on providing you with best possible service during these difficult times, and will keep you updated should there be any significant changes to our plan or capability.
Thank you for your continued support.
CN Seeds Team
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From 1st February 2020 until 31st December 2020 (11 months) there will be a Transition Period whereby goods can be traded between the UK & EU member states without any customs clearance formalities at the point of entry into the UK or out of the UK. This will essentially mean that for the remainder of 2020, trade in goods and services will continue as they have previously (whilst the UK was an EU member state).
In 2021 and beyond the UK will trade with the EU under new rules and guidelines. We currently do not know what trading relationship will be agreed between the EU & UK, nor do we know with certainty whether the transition period will be extended into 2021. However, as has been previously mentioned, within the EU we have CN Seeds Especialidades SL. Based in Murcia, Spain this business has a warehouse and a Spanish team. This means that whatever the outcome of these trade talks, CN Seeds can continue to trade goods to our EU customers from within the EU, so goods will travel freely and tariff free.
If you still have concerns regarding the impact Brexit will have on our ability to supply seed, please don't hesitate to get in touch with Craig, our Commercial Manager.
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We at CN Seeds want to reassure our European Partners that a no deal Brexit will have no impact on our ability to deliver seed within the EU.
CN Seeds is a Global Business with interests in various Countries. Within the EU we have CN Seeds Especialidades SL. Based in Murcia, Spain we have a warehouse and a Spanish team. In the event of a no deal Brexit we will supply seed from this operation so our EU partners will continue to receive seed quickly and tariff free.
If you are still concerned about the impact Brexit will have on our ability to supply seed please do not hesitate to contact me.
Craig Thomas
Commercial Manager
t: +44 (0) 7876 560553
]]>Orange Smoothie F1 is set to become a bestseller across the UK and complements our existing Harvest Moon F1, the UK’s market standard medium pumpkin variety.
With squash sowing season just around the corner, Orange Smoothie F1 offers our growers a reliable Halloween pumpkin producing uniform small-medium fruits with bright orange skin, making it the ideal small Jack O’Lantern variety to accompany Harvest Moon F1 in our pumpkin range.The recent re-brand at CN Seeds is more than a cosmetic change in image of the company, it also sees a real change in the product range on offer. Having listened to our customers and found out what they want, we have rationalised our product range to focus on our core product categories of Herbs, Babyleaf Salad, Oriental Vegetables and Microgreens. This focus allows us to concentrate on offering customers premium service, quality and expertise.
Continued innovation is key to our success at CN Seeds and our breeding programmes link science, technology and nature to ensure a constant pipeline of new products. We are committed to bringing continued inspiration and innovation to our customers and pride ourselves on being the ‘go-to’ business for our market-leading varieties and seed development. To meet the dynamic needs of tomorrow's consumers our team is endlessly experimenting to develop new varieties that bring tangible benefits to our customers, society and the environment.
Since 1990 we have pioneered professional herb seed varieties and our focus remains in this category. We have an extensive range of culinary and medicinal herbs including the market leading variety, Coriander Cruiser, which boasts PBR and US utility patent. Coriander Cruiser is a very uniform variety with dark glossy leaves and a great flavour. The strong bolting tolerance of Coriander Cruiser makes it extremely adaptable for all season field crops and pot production.
The range also includes Dill Delight, a late bolting dill with an upright growth habit and dark blue/green leaves suitable for field growers looking for a high yielding variety for fresh cut or processing.
Disease tolerance, leaf appearance, flavour and shelf life are among the characteristics selected for in CN Seeds’ babyleaf salad breeding programmes. The NPD and breeding teams work closely with customers in order to develop leading new varieties to meet the requirements of growers and consumers as the market evolves.
With convenience and health at the forefront of shopper’s minds the demand for bagged babyleaf salads is on the rise and innovations in taste, colour, texture and enhanced nutritional benefits stimulate consumer demand. Aesthetics are playing an increased role too and we’re developing varieties that look as good as they taste! Pak Choi Rubi, boasts an eye-catching purple leaf with a contrasting bright green underside, bringing great colour to a cut salad. The thick leaves and upright growth habit make this variety the best friend of the harvester and processor. Another variety introducing great colour to a babyleaf salad is Bulls Blood Atlanta, a new addition to CN’s range this year, bolstering an already strong range of Bulls Blood varieties. This variety is heat tolerant, holding its deep red colour when temperatures are high, and so is the perfect variety for the mid-summer growing season.
Flavour and leaf shape are also very important characteristics of babyleaf salad varieties. Wild Rocket Sorrento, introduces a strong peppery flavour and highly serrated leaf shape into the mix. Similarly to Rubi, Sorrento has an erect growing habit and strong leaf structure which ensures ease of harvest. This variety also has a good holding ability, which means it is a great variety for the summer and autumn growing slots. For those who prefer the milder taste and faster growth cycle of salad rocket, Salad Rocket Uber fits the bill. Uber boasts beautiful dark green serrated leaves and is a very versatile product of great quality.
The peppery leaf of Landcress is every increasing in popularity; we offer a variety with elegantly lobed, thick, glossy leaves. Landcress is becoming widely popular in babyleaf salads and is also widely used among chefs worldwide - the strong pepper-like flavour making it a beautiful accompaniment to seafood and pork dishes in particular.
The rising popularity of home-cooking programmes and the International flavours showcased by celebrity chefs has caused a sharp increase in the demand for oriental vegetables. CN Seeds already offers a broad and exciting range of oriental vegetables and continues to develop new varieties to help our customers anticipate consumer demand.
The pak choi varieties on offer from CN Seeds have quickly become dominating varieties in the European market. Pak Choi Goku is an exciting new slow bolting hybrid for spring planting. It boasts glossy green leaves with long petioles and forms quality neat heads. Goku puts on weight quickly and holds well for a greater flexibility in harvest time. Pak Choi Yoshi is a great smaller spec pak choi perfect for the flow pack system. Yoshi is very strong against bolting and has a very tidy, compact plant habit.
Microgreens have taken the market by storm in recent years and with the rising popularity of cooking programmes and home cooking, we see food pairings of recipes with new or enhanced herb flavours as a growing trend as well as an appetite for mini plants as garnish.
The dynamic team at CN Seeds has quickly brought through a microgreen range of over 150 varieties to the market. Microgreens have very short growth cycles and can be grown year-round with supplementary heat and lighting. The microgreen range on offer at CN exhibits a tremendous variety of colours, flavours and textures, with microgreens to match every dish. Salad Rocket Uber and Bulls Blood Atlanta (pictured below) are harvested at the microgreen stage; products harvested at this stage are densely nutrient packed and very flavoursome.
CN Seeds work with specialist breeding partners on pumpkins and edible squash varieties. CN boasts Harvest Moon F1, a reliable performer and the UK market standard for the Halloween trade. Harvest Moon is early maturing with bright orange skin and a fruit weight of 4-5 kg.
A culture of innovation is championed throughout our business. Our in-house seed processing, and seed technologies allow us to offer a flexible and reliable service which is traceable from our laboratories to your fields. Our progressive business model is designed to offer solutions for a variety of different customers and climates. We are continually developing seed enhancements to tackle the future challenges of food production and sustainability.
In collaboration with our growers, customers and academic partners, CN Seeds is firmly focused on the future and its mission to bring inspiration and innovation to customers; growing together through continual innovation.
]]>Founded in 1990, CN Seeds is a specialist seed company based in Cambridgeshire, UK. It is an international market leader in Herbs, Baby Leaf salad, Oriental Vegetables and Microgreens and has successfully pioneered many elite varieties. CN Seeds is a true pioneer and is committed to investing in leading-edge science as well as collaborating with leading research institutions such as world renowned John Innes Centre.
Q: This month CN Seeds has unveiled new branding. What’s the philosophy behind the rebrand?
A: We wanted to celebrate all that makes CN Seeds the success that it is today and felt a new identity would help set out our values, purpose and mission. The logo has been reimagined to modernise it and reflect the evolving company proposition as an international market leading seed and plant breeding company. The new logo has great standout and the fresh green looks and feels exciting as well as working well across social media and international markets.
Q: What are your new brand values?
A: Our core brand values remain the same as always however we hope that our new brand identity reflects our intention to meet the needs of the market and our customers through continual innovation.
The new branding is a fresh, dynamic take on the traditional CN Seeds values of premium service, quality and expertise but we feel it also captures our pioneering spirit and our commitment to science which drives our world-class innovation in Herbs, Baby Leaf salad, Oriental Vegetables and Microgreens.
Q: What does the rebrand mean for you and your colleagues?
A: We want to express our innovation culture and demonstrate just how passionate we are about delivering a world-class service. Our team is the best in the business and we’re very proud of that.
Q: The seed market has changed considerably since 1990 what has been the secret to your success?
A: Our growth in recent years has come from our willingness to adopt new technology and techniques to accelerate product development times, improve operational efficiency and enhance product quality. Investment in in-house seed processing and seed technologies has allowed us to offer a flexible and reliable service, traceable from our laboratories to growers fields.
The last couple of decades have seen an enormous amount of growth in the baby leaf salad market and CN Seeds has been at the very forefront of this development. We pride ourselves on being experts on Baby Leaf and upcoming seed varieties and we have evolved a business based on service, quality and expertise and forged strong collaborative partnerships based on honesty and transparency. Our new strapline, ‘growing together’ celebrates these valued long-term partnerships with customers based on trust and transparency.
Q: What does the future hold for CN Seeds?
A: We are all excited about the future! We are investing in leading science and technology and collaborating with customers and academic institutes to continue pioneering work in the field of plant breeding and seed treatment. Innovation is key to our success, the breeding programmes we have in place link science, technology and nature to ensure a constant pipeline of new products.
There are many well documented social, environmental and economic challenges facing food supply worldwide but we are investing in our business and our people to ensure we can help our customers meet these challenges.
CN Seeds aims to bring inspiration and innovation to customers so we can grow together.
]]>CN Seeds is a specialist seed company based in Cambridgeshire, UK. It is an international market leader in Herbs, Baby Leaf Salad, Oriental Vegetables and Microgreens and has successfully pioneered many elite varieties. CN Seeds is a true pioneer and is committed to investing in leading-edge science as well as collaborating with leading research institutions such as world renowned John Innes Centre.
In order to continue to develop strong partnerships with customers across international markets, and to reflect the needs of future customers and markets CN Seeds has chosen to rebrand. We believe the time is right to share the innovation culture we have established, the scientific advances we have made and the premium service we offer our customers.
CN Seeds is proud to share its fresh new identity to strengthen its position as a international market leader in Herbs, Baby Leaf Salad, Oriental Vegetables and Microgreens.
The new brand identity is clean, modern and crisp but echoes the strong traditional values of CN Seeds. The fresh green looks and feels exciting and signals the company’s intentions to grow through innovation.
Managing Director, Dan Nye explains, “We are all excited about the rebranding and in particular how it represents our people and business going forward. It’s a fresh and dynamic take on the traditional CN Seeds values of premium service, quality and expertise but we feel it also captures our pioneering spirit and our commitment to science which drives our world-class innovation in Herbs, Baby Leaf Salad, Oriental Vegetables and Microgreens.”
The new identity also celebrates CN Seeds’ valued long-term partnerships with customers based on trust and transparency and the new company strapline, “growing together” underlines this commitment.
CN Seeds remains firmly focused on the future and our mission to bring inspiration and innovation to customers.
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