Vandinter Semo
Squarefield acted as exclusive financial advisor to Vandinter Semo on the sale to Cérience
In January 2024, the shareholder of Vandinter Semo (or the “Company”) entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Company to Cérience, a subsidiary of the French cooperative Terrena. The acquisition is fully in line with Terrena’s 2030 strategic plan, marking a new step in the development of its seed subsidiary Cérience in an international market serving the cooperative and its members.
Vandinter Semo is a company specialised in the breeding, multiplication, and marketing of forage grasses and cover crop seeds. Since its creation in 1914, the Company has developed valuable know-how in seed production, working with a wide network of farmers in the Netherlands and Denmark. The Company also invested heavily in the innovative research of nematode resistant crops and presents a unique source of high-performance fodder radish and mustard to combat harmful nematodes and soil-borne diseases.
“Through this acquisition, Cérience aims to accelerate its commercial dynamics in the Northern European markets and strengthen its competitiveness in forage seeds. Cérience seeks to capitalise on these new seed production territories conducive to the multiplication of forage grasses and complementary to its cooperative anchorage in the western part of France,” declares Luc Saint Bonnet, CEO of Cérience.
“On its part, Vandinter Semo will benefit from the genetic sources of Cérience to build its future growth,” says Bert-Jan van Dinter, its current CEO, who will remain at the head of Vandinter Semo in the coming years. “Since 1995, Vandinter Semo has experienced steady growth in resistant breeding of cruciferous crops (green fertilisers) and seed productions. In order to secure the future, I started looking for an international partner who could realise further growth. With the French company Cérience and its parent Terrena, I found a partner who shares the same ambition as Vandinter Semo. We want to serve farmers, people, and nature through an agronomy that is sustainable and beneficial to everyone”
Vandinter Semo
Vandinter Semo, a company with a history that dates back to 1914, is a leading seed company active in breeding, production, and marketing of a variety of seed including green manures (cover crops) and grasses. With a wide network of farmers in both the Netherlands and Denmark, the Company has developed bespoke know-how in the production of grass seed. In addition, through relentless efforts in the breeding of nematode resistant cover crops, the Company developed a market-leading portfolio of green manure varieties.
Bert-Jan van Dinter - Owner and CEO of Vandinter Semo“Squarefield’s expertise in the seed industry has been instrumental in assisting me to connect with a company that perfectly aligned with my expectations. They maintained a focused approach with both short and swift communication channels, providing me with comfort throughout the entire process. Looking back, my interaction with Squarefield was highly enjoyable, thanks to their team’s personal engagement and expertise.”
Cérience
Cérience L’Agronome Semencier, is a company specialised in the research, development and marketing of seeds and biobased solutions for an agriculture with positive impact at the international level. In addition, the company is a leader in the production of maize, vegetable, fodder, cereal and protein seeds. With its 330 employees and dedicated focus on R&D, Cérience is convinced that only a new agronomic approach will allow agriculture to develop sustainably.
Terrena
Terrena is a cooperative of farmers, based in the Northwest of France. With 20,992 farmer members and 13,587 employees, Terrena is one of the leading agricultural and agrifood companies in France. The Terrena cooperative was created out of a desire by farmers to give value in a sustainable way to their animal and plant productions, to make their regions more dynamic and to share economic growth.