Tradition

The Dutch subsidiary Den Hartigh BV is integrated as Solana Holland under the brand umbrella of the Solana.

Solana Seeds U.K. Ltd. opens a second location in Forfar, Scotland.

Foundation of Solana Seeds UK Ltd in July 2015: This newly formed independent company will be responsible for looking after all the markets both in UK and Ireland.

The Dutch companies Den Hartigh B.V. and IJsselmeer Polders B.V. become wholly owned subsidiaries.

Granola is named the “Potato of the Year 2014”. The variety is still well established almost 40 years after its approval.

Foundation of an agency in the United Kingdom.

Establishing Solana France: The representation becomes an independent company and is responsible for development in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Solana acquires major share in former joint venture OOO Solana-Agro-Service in Samara (Solagro) to ensure the progress of Solana varieties on the Russian market.

Solana acquires major share in Danish potato propagation and trading company Scanax Holding in order to expand to Scandinavian and Baltic markets.

1 July 2010: Solana assumes distribution and marketing of SaKa potato varieties in Germany. Change of names to Solana GmbH & Co. KG and SaKa Pflanzenzucht GmbH & Co. KG.

Foundation of a foreign representation in France.

Foundation of TOV Solana Ukraina near Kiev, Ukraine, as a sales company for seed potatoes.

Foundation of German Seed Alliance, a union of five companies which produce different types of seeds. The association now has four companies.

Acquisition of the Ragis-shares by Dr Kartz von Kameke to continue the business in the context of an independent, family-owned company, SaKa Pflanzenzucht GbR.

Foundation of Solana Agrar S.R.L. in Bucharest, Romania (now Solana Romania S.R.L.).

Foundation of Solana Polska Sp. z o.o. in Kutno, Poland, as a unit for marketing seed and table potatoes and organisation of multiplication in Poland.

Foundation of Solana-Agro-Service in Samara, Russia, as a unit for marketing seed potatoes and table potatoes.

Acquisition of the farm in Stolpe (Mecklenburg-West-Pomerania, eastern Germany) aiming at the expansion of the production of pre-basic potato seed.

Foundation of an agency in Seville, Spain, aiming for the production of early ware potatoes for the German market.

Foundation of Samara-Solana, Russia, which aims at the production of high-quality potato seed for the region Samara and adjoining provinces.

SaKa/Solana is the first company to ship seed potatoes to the Volga region in Russia and start the production of seed stock for the Russian market with a local partner.

Acquisition of the farms in Ranzin and Gransebieth (Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, eastern Germany). They conduct potato field trials and are responsible for varietal maintenance and production of pre-basic potato seed.

Integration of Ragis Kartoffelzucht- und Handelsges. mbH and foundation of SaKa-Ragis Pflanzenzucht GbR (SARA).

The company Solana Agrar-Produkte GmbH was founded which promptly took over the export business of the SARA varieties. Today, Solana is an independent trading company in the international potato business.

SARA becomes shareholder in the Dutch companies Den Hartigh B.V. and IJsselmeer Polders B.V.

SARA took over the distribution of the varieties from UNIPLANTA Saatzucht KG (Niederarnbach) and started an intensive breeding co-operation.

Dr Kartz von Kameke became managing shareholder and took over the overall responsibility.

Registration of Granola: The variety was one of the first with a resistance against nematodes and with both, a very high yield and a good taste. In Germany, it was almost continuously the most grown potato variety from 1982 until 1994. It was named the ”Potato of the Year 2014“ in Germany.

On Dobimar von Kameke's initiative, a strong merger of breeders took place: Pflanzenzucht SaKa GbR was founded by the four companies Saatzucht von Kameke-Streckenthin, Pommersche Saatzucht-Gesellschaft, Saatzucht J. Krafft-Buir and Saatzucht Raddatz-Hufenberg.

The first varieties bred in the Federal Republic of Germany, such as Datura and Delos, were registered and launched.

After the disruptions of the last war almost all breeding material was lost, and a pioneering spirit was necessary. In Böstlingen (Lower Saxony) breeding activities were started afresh and Saatzucht von Kameke-Streckenthin was rebuilt.

Dobimar von Kameke took over the overall responsibility at Streckenthin estate.

Progressive Pomeranian farmers founded Pommersche Saatzucht Gesellschaft (PSG) in Stettin.

The “Parnassia” variety is introduced onto the market. Its characteristic features are its ruggedness, its starch content and its good resistance to late blight, which made it particularly useful during the so-called “turnip winter” in World War I. At one time Parnassia accounted for 30 per cent of the cropping area in Germany.

Cavalry Captain Kartz von Kameke took over the farms at Streckenthin in the Köslin District. After initial variety trials he started systematic breeding programmes in potatoes.