- EIB grants a €300M InvestEU-backed loan to Limagrain under the TechEU programme for seed R&D.
- Funding targets plant genetics to boost yield, disease/pest resistance, drought tolerance, nutrient-use efficiency and nutritional/environmental traits.
- This is the EIB's second loan to Limagrain after a €170M financing in 2020 for climate-adapted seeds.
- Limagrain allocated €324M to R&D in 2024-2025 and reported €2.5bn turnover; the EIB launched a €3bn agriculture/bioeconomy lending envelope to mobilise €8.4bn.
Transaction
The European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a €300M loan with Limagrain, backed by the European Commission’s InvestEU guarantee and channelled under the EIB’s TechEU programme to accelerate long-term seed research and development.
R&D scope
Financing will support Vilmorin & Cie’s research into plant genetics to improve agronomic performance (yield, disease and pest resistance, climate and territorial adaptation, drought tolerance, nutrient-use efficiency) and to enhance nutritional and environmental traits.
Previous engagement
This is the EIB’s second loan to Limagrain, following a €170M financing in 2020 aimed at adapting seeds to climate change.
Scale and context
Limagrain allocated €324M to R&D in 2024–2025 and reported around €2.5bn in turnover for that period; the EIB has expanded agriculture and bioeconomy lending with a €3bn agriculture envelope (2024) intended to mobilise €8.4bn and has increased its financing for the sector to nearly €15bn over 2024–2025.
