Bakker Brothers is a seed company with a rich history and a futurist mindset. Established in the Netherlands in 1928, our company specializes in the breeding, production, and sales of mainly vegetable seeds. Our specialized teams manage the processes involved in a seed business from A to Z. We develop varieties ourselves as well as produce, clean, treat and pack them. Our experience in the worldwide seed industry we use to fulfill customer desires and needs.
From the 1950s onward we started exploring the world, looking for new markets. In 1954 East-Africa was chosen as the new production site. In the years following we broadened our distribution channels to export to countries outside of Europe, in particular countries in the Middle East and Africa. In the early 2000’s we’ve fully expanded into the Middle East by opening a sales office in the region, which was turned into a breeding and trial station in a later stage
Over the years we’ve successfully penetrated hard-to-reach informal markets in the Middle East and Sub-Sahara Africa. We’ve opened offices and stations in these regions to serve and understand the local market even better.
Bakker Brothers is an international company with offices and facilities in Europe, the Middle East, and Sub-Sahara Africa. Our breeding activities take place worldwide and we conduct product trials across all continents. Our focus markets are Europe, the Middle East and Sub-Sahara Africa. To ensure our seeds thrive in our focus markets, our research & development team makes sure our products are bred especially to suit the needs of these markets.
2018: Bakker Brothers acquires an onion breeding program, expanding our product catalogue with new onion varieties.
2017: A breeding and training station is opened in Arusha, Tanzania.
2016: We relaunch our breeding and sales activities for the processing market for our bean and carrot crops
2013: Bakker Brother expands to Jordan. An office location is opened, as well as a research and trial station in Jordan.
2013: Zaad Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Zeder Investments, becomes Bakker Brothers’ parent company.
2012: Our breeding station in the Netherlands is expanded to include a greenhouse complex totalling three hectares for initial breeding activities.
2011: We start creating own varieties through breeding of hybrid seeds. Our breeding team is expanded and we start focusing on eggplants, hot pepper, determinate tomatoes, beans, and carrots.
2008: Expanding of the breeding programmes for tomatoes and peppers.
2003: Klein Karoo Kooperasie from South Africa takes a majority interest in Bakker Brothers, marking the beginning of a successful collaboration.
1980s: Bakker Brothers starts breeding and selecting an increasingly wider selection of vegetable seeds, including carrots, peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes. Exports are now also targeted at countries outside of Europe, particularly in Africa and Middle East
1976: Increased focus on the cultivation of bean seeds.
1972: Bakker Brothers starts to focus more on the breeding and selection of new bean varieties.
1954: East Africa is explored as the new growing area for stock seeds. The first production on the company's own farm in Tanzania is completed.
1945: The company starts focusing on the cultivation and sale of bean seeds.
1928: Bakker Brothers is founded under the name ‘Gebroeders Bakker Zaadteelt en Zaadhandel’. The company gets their start by growing cabbage seeds for export to Germany.