Four segments.
One goal:

Robust business performance despite significantly lower acreage: With innovative products, KWS strength-ened its leading market position in sugarbeet seed.

• Due to low sugar prices, global sugarbeet acreage declined by around 10 % in the reporting year. Nevertheless, segment sales were only 2 % lower. On a comparable basis, excluding currency effects, the decrease was 1 %.
• The product innovations CONVISO^® SMART und CR+ and CR+ once again saw growing demand and together accounted for 63 % of segment sales, making them key pillars of the segment’s performance.
• In the past fiscal year, KWS continued to drive the development of innovative sugarbeet varieties and secured 189 new variety approvals.
• The most important investment project was the construction of two modern greenhouses and office facilities at the US research site in Kimberly, Idaho.

Well positioned in a challenging environment: KWS gained market share in the European corn market and recorded strong growth in the sunflower seed business.

• Low producer prices and periods of heat and drought in Southern and Eastern Europe weighed on European corn cultivation in the reporting year. As a result, acreage also declined.
• Net sales in the segment were down moderately by 2 % on a comparable basis (excluding currency and portfolio effects), while profitability increased significantly. The marked improvement was partly attributable to a one-time effect related to the sale of the North American corn business.
• Thanks to a strong portfolio, KWS increased its market share in Europe to 13 %, according to its own market data.
• One growth driver is the sunflower seed business, where sales increased by 35 %. Targeted innovations provide a strong foundation for further growth. Our goal is to increase sales to €100 million by 2035.

Our strong oilseed rape portfolio provided a tailwind for the cereals segment in the past fiscal year and contributed to slight sales growth.

• The oilseed rape seed business performed strongly and offset lower sales of rye, wheat, and barley.
• KWS increased its share of the European hybrid oilseed rape market to 17 %.* (Learn more). Accounting for 39 % of segment sales, oilseed rape was the segment’s leading crop.

• Despite difficult market conditions in Germany and Poland, rye seed accounted for around one-third of segment sales.

• EBITDA was below the prior-year level, primarily due to a provision for a legal risk and higher R&D expenses.

• The development of hybrid seed, including for wheat and barley, remains a strategic R&D focus. Sales of hybrid barley, which KWS first launched in the UK in the previous year, increased significantly.

Investing in growth: In the reporting year, KWS continued to build its young vegetable business and advance the breeding of high-quality varieties.

• Segment earnings were primarily shaped by the planned high expenses for building up vegetable breeding.
• Key investments included expanding production, processing, and conditioning capacity for vegetable seed at the Andijk site, which serves as a central hub for vegetable breeding.
• Total segment sales were below the prior-year level, mainly due to lower spinach seed sales.
• KWS successfully advanced its breeding programs for the strategic crops tomato, pepper, cucumber, melon, and watermelon during the fiscal year. For fiscal year 2026/27, KWS plans commercial market entry in all five newly developed vegetable crops.