United Kingdom
October 13, 2025

With a constant drive to help growers meet todays and tomorrow’s challenges with high-quality varieties, Sakata has just acquired the onion and shallot seed business of Allium Seeds Ltd.
This acquisition builds on a successful twelve-year partnership with this British company which has strong expertise in breeding for the UK and Irish markets. The partnership focused on intermediate and long-day onion types and has already led to the development of several varieties, including:
- Rosanna, a pink-skinned onion
- ONI21039 F1, a promising long-day brown onion currently on trial
And more on the way!
Ten experienced team members from Allium Seeds are now joining Sakata, continuing their work from their current site near Sakata UK’s station. The team will be led by Stuart Cox, Managing Director of Sakata Central and Northern Europe, who initiated the partnership and will oversee the integration.
“This acquisition aligns with Sakata’s commitment to long-term innovation and our ambition to offer a diverse, high-performing seed portfolio. It strengthens our position in the onion and shallot segment and supports our growth in Europe,” says Basile de Bary, CEO of Sakata EMEA.
Allium Seeds’ onion sets activity – not part of the acquisition – will continue independently under a new company, Allium Solutions Ltd.
Do you want to get onion or shallot seeds?
Contact Stuart Cox .