Pannar Celebrates 50 Years

Greytown, South Africa—The parent company of Pannar Seed, Inc., Huron, SD celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2008.

Pannar was established as a seed corn company in 1958, in the eastern seaboard breadbasket of South Africa. Two years later, Pannar initiated its own corn breeding program and began developing improved hybrids. Its customer base now spans 50 countries.

With a research presence in the United States since the early 1970s, Pannar entered the U.S. retail market in 2001 with the acquisition of a Huron, SD-based seed company. In late 2007, Barry Brown assumed CEO responsibilities. “The legacy of research established by Pannar half a century ago has grown into the world class advancement of elite, proprietary genetics,” says Brown. “Today Pannar has become one of the world’s largest independent seed companies, with sales of over a million units of corn annually.”

Pannar has stateside plant breeding and research facilities in Boone, IA; Brookston, IN; Huron, SD; Kenesaw, NE; and Olivia, MN. Internationally, its breeding and research arm has stations in Argentina, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. In addition to its extensive corn and sorghum research programs, Pannar has become internationally recognized as a global leader in sunflower hybrid development.

In 2007 Pannar, South Africa, with colleagues from the University of Cape Town, began field testing maize streak virus (MSV) resistant corn. This was the first transgenic crop developed solely by Africans.

Managing director of Pannar, South Africa Deon van Rooyen says the company is well positioned for the next half century. “The ongoing exchange of germplasm and technology with international partners and institutions plus our commitment to research at the molecular level are vital components of our business strategy for meeting our customers’ needs for the next 50 years.”


Pannar Seed, Inc.
Huron, SD
www.pannarusa.com
1-866-PANNAR1

Pannar, South Africa
Greytown, South Africa
www.pannar.co.za