What Cropmark Seeds does

Cropmark Seeds is a New Zealand-based forage seed breeder and marketer serving the country's livestock farming sector. Founded around 2000 and headquartered in Rolleston, Canterbury, the company develops and distributes proprietary seed varieties across 12 forage crop categories — including perennial, Italian, hybrid, and annual ryegrasses, festulolium, clover, cocksfoot, fodder beet, brassicas, forage herbs, cereals, and other crops — targeting dairy, beef, sheep, deer, goat, horse, and alpaca farmers nationwide. The company operates through Cropmark Seeds Limited as a privately held New Zealand entity with 101-250 employees.

The company's core technical differentiator is the proprietary CM142 endophyte technology, developed through extensive global screening of ryegrass samples over more than 10 years of research. CM142 provides insect tolerance against Argentine Stem Weevil, Black Beetle adults, Porina Caterpillar, and Root Aphid, while significantly reducing ryegrass staggers frequency and severity in livestock. The company maintains an in-house research division comprising a R&D Manager, plant breeders, research scientists, a cereals agronomist, and trial agronomists across both North and South Islands, conducting varietal trials through the Plant Breeding and Research Association (PBRA). Digital farmer-engagement tools include the ForageSelect mobile application (iPhone/Android), a web-based Seed Selector, the Pasture Score Tool for paddock assessment, and a Knowledge Hub for agronomic content.

Cropmark Seeds operates a B2B channel-partner go-to-market, distributing through major New Zealand agricultural retailers and co-operatives including Ravensdown, Farmlands Co-operative, PGG Wrightson, Kiwi Seed, Advance Agriculture, and specialty seed merchants spanning all NZ agricultural regions. Revenue is generated through one-time seed sales to farmers via this channel, supported by a team of regional Technical Sales Specialists covering territories across the Upper South Island, Lower North Island, Southland/Otago, and other regions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company has secured two funding events — a Callaghan Innovation grant in September 2018 and an Agnition Ventures investment in March 2023 — and has hired a GM - Global Sales, signaling potential international expansion intent beyond its current New Zealand-only operating footprint.

Name

Cropmark Seeds

Legal name

Cropmark Seeds Limited

Website

https://cropmarkseeds.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cropmark Seeds is a New Zealand-based forage seed breeder and marketer serving dairy, beef, and sheep farmers with proprietary seed varieties across 12 crop categories and the CM142 endophyte technology, distributed through major NZ agricultural retailers and a regional technical sales team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forage Seed

NAICS

Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Forage & Pasture Seeds (Alfalfa, Clover, Ryegrass, Bermudagrass) (AFABAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nursery Stock & Propagule Production (Cuttings, Rootstocks, Grafts) (AFAGAIAO)

Keywords

• Forage seed breeding
• Ryegrass varieties
• Endophyte technology
• Pasture establishment
• Livestock feed crops

Headquarters

HQ city

Rolleston

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Forage Seed Sales: Sale of proprietary forage seed varieties including ryegrass, clover, brassicas, fodder beet, herbs, cereals, and other forage crops to farmers and agricultural operations across New Zealand.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cropmark Seeds breeds, develops, and sells proprietary forage seed varieties — including perennial, Italian, hybrid, and annual ryegrass, festulolium, forage herbs, clover, cocksfoot, fodder beet, brassicas, cereals, and other crops — to New Zealand livestock farmers through regional retailers and a direct technical sales team. Its CM142 novel endophyte technology provides insect tolerance and reduced ryegrass staggers across multiple ryegrass varieties. Supporting offerings include the ForageSelect mobile app, an online seed selector tool, the Pasture Score Tool, and an agronomy Knowledge Hub.

Product overview

Cropmark Seeds is a New Zealand-based forage seed company offering a comprehensive portfolio of seed products alongside digital tools. The core product line consists of multiple forage seed varieties across 11 categories: Perennial Ryegrass (6 varieties), Italian Ryegrass (2), Hybrid Ryegrass (1), Annual Ryegrass (4), Festulolium (1), Forage Herbs (2), Clover (3), Cocksfoot (2), Fodder Beet (9), Brassicas (7), Cereals (1), and Other Crops (3). Supporting these seeds is the proprietary CM142 Endophyte technology for insect protection and animal safety. Digital offerings include the ForageSelect App (mobile application for seed selection), a web-based Seed Selector tool, and a Pasture Score Tool within the app for paddock assessment. The Knowledge Hub provides supplementary agronomy resources including case studies, technical sheets, and trial data. The company operates through regional distributors across New Zealand and maintains a research division for ongoing variety development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ForageSelect: Mobile application for iPhone and Android that helps farmers select forage seeds suitable for their location, animals and growing conditions.

Products and services

• Perennial Ryegrass Seed Varieties Forage grass seed varieties (Stampede, Raider, Matrix, Energizer, Ultra, Avatar) bred for yield, nutritional values, and disease resistance with multi-year persistence. Used by New Zealand livestock farmers for long-term pasture establishment.
• Italian Ryegrass Seed Varieties Short-term pasture varieties (Appeal, Vibe) persisting 12-18 months with large leaves and high quality feed production. Targeted at farmers needing short-rotation high-quality pasture.
• Hybrid Ryegrass Seed Variety Crossed perennial and Italian ryegrass variety (Frenzy) offering higher annual yields and persistence of 2-4+ years depending on parentage and climate. Bred for cool season production and persistence.
• Annual Ryegrass Seed Varieties High-volume quality feed varieties (Rampage, Dash, Zoom, Bullet) persisting 6-10 months, ideal for winter feed with grazing capability within 4-6 weeks of sowing. Suited to catch crops after winter grazing.
• Festulolium Seed Variety Versatile grass variety (Barrier) combining stress resistance genes of fescue with yield persistence of ryegrass through deep root structure. Used as a pasture or supplementary feed crop.
• Forage Herb Seed Varieties High trace element, heat tolerant and palatable chicory and plantain varieties (Oracle, Chico) used as specialist crops or pasture mix additions.
• Clover Seed Varieties Nitrogen-fixing legume varieties (Reaper, Mantra, Demand) forming a key component in most forage systems. Used in pasture mixes across New Zealand livestock farms.
• Cocksfoot Seed Varieties Productive, drought tolerant grass varieties (Kainui, Vision) suited to drier conditions with strong summer growth and pest resistance through dense root system.
• Fodder Beet Seed Varieties High yield potential varieties (Gustea, Geronimo, Kokomo, Lactimo, Anselmo, Guillermo, Dynamo, Palermo, Erasmo) grown for impressive winter feed production. Used for winter grazing and supplementary feed.
• Brassica Seed Varieties Fast maturing single-graze crop varieties (Saddleback, Marco, Rifleman, Pillar, Kea, Coleor, Proteor) grown to bridge feed gaps and maintain livestock body condition. Includes swede and kale cultivars.
• Cereal Seed Variety Versatile cereal crop variety (SY Dolomite) known for fast growth and high yields. Used as supplementary feed or whole-crop forage.
• Other Crop Seed Varieties Adaptable and versatile crop varieties (Q31, SW6330, Haymaker) valuable for well-rounded pasture or crop rotation plans.
• CM142 Novel Endophyte Technology Proprietary novel endophyte technology discovered by Cropmark Seeds through screening thousands of ryegrass samples worldwide. Provides natural defense mechanism for increased pasture persistence with reduced animal toxicity and enhanced insect protection including tolerance against Argentine Stem Weevil, Black Beetle adults, Porina Caterpillar, and Root Aphid. Embedded in ryegrass varieties such as Stampede.
• ForageSelect Mobile App Mobile application for iPhone and Android that helps farmers select forage seeds suitable for their location, animals, and growing conditions. Includes a seed selector based on region, animal type, summer rainfall, and soil acidity, plus the integrated Pasture Score Tool for paddock assessment.
• Forage Selector (Online Seed Selector) Online tool that allows farmers to select suitable forage cultivars based on region, animal type, summer rainfall, and soil acidity parameters.

Quantifiable outcome

• CM142 provides tolerance against Argentine Stem Weevil, Black Beetle adults, Porina Caterpillar and Root Aphid while significantly reducing ryegrass staggers frequency and severity

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plant Breeding and Research Association (PBRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCropmark Seeds participates in PBRA agronomic trials, which is a key activity for trialling new ryegrass varieties. The outcomes of these trials provide farmers with key information to help select cultivars most suited for their specific farm environments, systems, and objectives.
• DairyNZminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCropmark references DairyNZ spring rotation planner as a recommended tool for farmers to manage grazing between calving and balance date, demonstrating collaboration with the dairy industry body.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Agricom (DLF Seeds New Zealand): New Zealand forage seed company owned by DLF, one of the world's largest grass seed groups. Competes head-to-head with Cropmark in proprietary ryegrass, clover, and brassica varieties sold through NZ retailers.
• PGG Wrightson Seeds: Major NZ seed company distributing proprietary and licensed forage varieties (including endophyte technologies) through its own retail network. Directly comparable product portfolio and customer base to Cropmark.
• Seed Force (Corteva Agriscience): NZ-based forage seed company acquired by Corteva, marketing proprietary ryegrass and clover cultivars with novel endophyte options (e.g., NEA, AR37). Direct competitor in NZ temperate pasture seed.

Broad incumbents

• Barenbrug Group: Global Dutch forage grass and legume seed breeder with broad product portfolio and own endophyte programme. Comparable in product categories but far larger scale and global reach.
• DLF Seeds: World's largest forage seed company headquartered in Denmark. Operates across temperate forage species and endophyte R&D; competitor through subsidiaries Agricom and PGG Wrightson Seeds.
• Corteva Agriscience (Forage Division): Global agriscience major with proprietary endophyte (AR37, NEA2) and forage seed business through Seed Force and Pioneer brand. Overlaps with Cropmark in NZ ryegrass and endophyte technology.

Regional players

• Heritage Seeds (Australia): Australian temperate pasture seed company marketing proprietary ryegrass, clover, and lucerne varieties. Comparable product offering for Australian beef/dairy farmers; potential offshore expansion peer.
• Germinal Holdings: UK and Ireland-based forage seed specialist marketing proprietary ryegrass and clover varieties with novel endophyte (Aber endophytes). Comparable breeding-led model; serves UK/Irish temperate pasture market.

Emerging players

• RAGT Seeds: European seed company with growing forage and cover crop portfolio including ryegrass and brassicas. Comparable in product categories and breed-and-market business model.

Others

• Plant & Food Research (Rangahau Ahumāra Kai): New Zealand Crown Research Institute conducting pasture and crop breeding research including endophyte programmes. Adjacent R&D partner/competitor supplying germplasm and IP into NZ forage seed industry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cropmarkseeds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles27 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cropmark Seeds