As Germinal restructures its business the company has announced that it will be “ceasing the production and marketing of cereal varieties in the Irish market with effect from 1 January 2022”.

JB Diego is one of the most famous varieties of winter wheat which Germinal had on its books, first listed by the Department in 2010 the variety remained on the recommended list this season.

Germinal will now focus on its core business of forage and grass seed in agriculture, as well as amenity seeds.

The company has made significant investments in forage research and breeding programmes recently and now has a research station as far away as New Zealand, as well as having breeders based in Aberystwyth and Germinal’s research station in the south of England.

We will also look to strengthen our team further, recruiting new personnel for specialist positions

Germinal Northern Ireland and Germinal Ireland announced a merger in January of this year.

Group managing director William Gilbert stated: “This development will simplify our business and allow us to focus our specialist knowledge and experience in forage and grass seed for the benefit of our customers.

“Building on the significant investment we have already made into our facilities in Tipperary, and into our forage research facilities, we will also look to strengthen our team further, recruiting new personnel for specialist positions, as we focus on delivering climate-smart forage solutions to help farmers drive productivity and profitability.”