Dutch Vegetable seed group Enza Zaden has announced that it has further increased its presence in South Africa by opening a new joint research and development facility with biotechnology company Expressive Research.
The joint venture, named Westcape Biotech and located in Stellenbosch, will offer cell and cultivation expertise while also carrying out biotechnological research for clients in the field of molecular diagnostics in relation to pathogens, as well as product quality.
'With the establishment of Westcape, Enza Zaden has considerably broadened its capacity for its activities in cell and tissue cultivation,' explained Joep Lambalk, director of Enza Zaden Research & Development BV. 'Consequently, we are able to provide our breeders worldwide with even better support by means of products drawn from cell and tissue cultivation processes. The effectiveness and efficiency of the breeding process is hereby greatly expanded. We are now also able toexploit our expertise with regard to these processes beyond vegetable crops, benefiting various important arable and ornamental crops too.'
This latest move follows the opening of the Enza Zaden South Africa subsidiary in February this year, an Oudtshoom-based branch that supports the seed production activities of the group.
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