About Graminor

Graminor AS breeds plant varieties for the Norwegian agricultural and horticultural industry. Our mission is to deliver plant varieties that are suited to the Nordic climatic conditions and market needs. Our goal is to give the Norwegian farmer access to the best varieties for their local climatic conditions and thereby aiding them in getting a simpler, more predictable, and sustainable production.

Graminor specializes in the development of new varieties of cereals, forage crops, potatoes, fruits and berries. Our main areas of business are plant breeding, testing, representation of foreign varieties and pre-base production. Pre-base production is the production of seeds that are then sold to seed companies for propagation and sale to farmers. Graminor also shares in the responsibility for propagating elite plants and seed potatoes.

Graminor AS was established in 2002 to amalgamate Norwegian plant breeding into one company.

The company is run from Bjørke Forsøksgård close to the town of Hamar. Here Graminor’s main offices, modern greenhouses, laboratories are located and approximately 1000 decares of arable land are available for plant breeding and propagation of cereals, potatoes, and forage crops. Fruit and berry breeding is undertaken at Njøs fruit and berry center in Leikanger on assignment from Graminor.

Graminor is a specialist company focused on long term research-based project work.

Plant breeding for Norwegian needs

Graminor’s core competence and area of business is plant breeding for the Nordic climatic conditions. The short growth season at these latitudes with low temperatures, cold winters, and large variations in daylight throughout the year mean that few other countries have similar growth conditions as found in the Nordic region. Plant varieties that are adapted to these conditions are crucial for cost-effective food production throughout this region. Our purpose is to ensure that the Norwegian agricultural and horticultural industries have access to varied, climate-adapted, and disease-free plant material, that is suitable for the Nordic climate.

The most important goals in our variety development programs are to breed varieties with high and stable production, high quality and strong disease resistance. Future varieties need to be adapted to predicted climatic changes, along with consumer preferences and environmental requirements. These include reduced pesticide usage, lower emissions of greenhouse gases and increased CO2-binding in soil and plants.

Learn more about Graminors cereal-, potato-, forage crop- and strawberry breeding on our YouTube-channel

Plant breeding takes time, capital investment, knowledge, and competence. Depending on the species, development of a new variety takes between 10 to 25 years of work from the first crossing until the new variety is officially approved. The challenge is to predict the market needs and trends for the future.

Our breeding work consists of a combination of traditional methods and new technology. The work is a combination of the traditional methods of crossing, selection and testing over several years. Simultaneously, biotechnological and molecular biological methods are used to assist, improve, and to streamline crossing and field work. We are continuously evaluating and implementing new technologies, routines, and selection methods. These are aimed at increasing the speed and quality of the development of new and improved varieties. Graminor is involved in many research and development projects and collaborates at an international level with other scientific research organisations and institutes.

Read more about plant breeding on our plant breeding pages

Our market position

Graminor considers Norway as our primary and most important market. Our main goal is to develop new and innovative plant varieties that will contribute to increasing Norwegian food production by utilizing local resources. We are dedicated to providing Norwegian farmers with access to the best varieties suited to their unique conditions, while also making their operations easier and more predictable. It’s worth noting that over half of the grains and forage crops sown in Norway are Graminor varieties.

To further strengthen our position, we are also actively working to increase the export of our own range of varieties. Through increased profitability in variety development, we can continue driving innovation and creating even better plants. We have already achieved significant success with our barley varieties, and we also export oat and wheat varieties to Finland. Interestingly, in 2015, Norwegian grain varieties were cultivated on a larger area in Finland than in Norway. Sweden and the Baltic countries are also potential export markets, as they have similar growth conditions to our own country.

At Graminor, we take pride in our role as a reliable contributor to Norwegian agriculture and food production, while also looking forward to new opportunities for growth and collaboration in the international market.

Our business areas

Graminor operates within three main areas:

1. Plant breeding

Plant breeding is the core of Graminor’s operations. We focus on developing innovative varieties within grains, potatoes, forage crops, fruits, and berries. Through improved plant material, we have estimated an annual increase of about one percent in grain yields.

On behalf of the government, we also have plant breeding programs for forage crops, fruits, berries, and potatoes. This ensures the development of varieties adapted to various growth conditions throughout the country, thereby contributing to strengthening Norwegian food production based on local resources.

2. Variety representation

In addition to our own variety development, we also assess foreign plant material. We make suitable varieties available in the market for species where foreign varieties are well-suited to Norwegian conditions and needs. This ensures that Norwegian farmers always have access to the best varieties for their specific circumstances. For foreign material to be adopted in Norway, it must meet Norwegian criteria for yield, maturity, quality, disease resistance, and other important variety traits.

Through representation agreements with foreign breeding companies, we gain access to new varieties and markets, along with the right to sell the agreed-upon varieties. The import process is conducted in close collaboration with the seed industry.

3. Prebase production

Graminor imports and produces pre-base seed of grains and forage crops. Additionally, we handle the production of seed potatoes and elite plants for fruits and berries.

This production takes place in close collaboration with seed retailers for grains and forage crops. For seed potatoes, we acquire services from the Overhalla Clonal Plant Center, while Sagaplant (formerly known as Gartnerhallen Sauherad Elite Plant Station) is responsible for producing elite plants and initial materials for strawberries, raspberries, and fruits.

Åpenhetsloven

In accordance with the Norwegian “Åpenhetsloven”, Graminor AS is categorized as a “øvrig selskap” As of June 30, 2023, the company is obligated to disclose due diligence assessments in accordance with the OECD guidelines. Graminor AS has chosen to share these due diligence assessments on the company’s website.

Internally, Graminor AS adheres to the principles of fundamental human rights and embraces the definition of equal and dignified civil rights regardless of gender, age, orientation, belief, nationality, or location in the world. In all its employment relationships, Graminor AS ensures compliance with guidelines for decent working conditions through employment contracts, compensation, and welfare arrangements in line with prevailing conditions regulated by Norwegian labor laws and in accordance with the provisions of the Working Environment Act.

Sustainability

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