Company History

Avanos Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd. was established in 2005 as an independent Zimbabwean company.  From 2001 to 2004 the company’s predecessor operated as the African office for East West Seed International, a multinational vegetable seed company with its head office in Thailand. In early 2005 East West Seed International dis-invested from Zimbabwe, giving room for the company’s then-time market development manager in Zimbabwe, Ms Marietta van der Werff, to continue the Zimbabwean operations independently while maintaining the trading name East West Seeds. This resulted in the establishment of Avanos Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd t/a East West Seeds.

In 2016 Avanos Enterprises changed its trading name to Avanos Seeds, to better reflect its own unique identity and core strengths.

What We Do

Avanos Seeds is an all-round vegetable seed company involved in breeding and development, seed production, seed processing and sales of high-quality vegetable seed for the Zimbabwean and wider African markets.

Avanos Seeds prides itself in being among only a handful of vegetable seed companies in Africa that are actively involved in breeding improved varieties specifically for the African market.

Avanos’ breeding program aims at creating innovative vegetable varieties that offer true revolutionary improvements to the vegetable industry – to farmers, traders and consumers alike. Breeding objectives include improvements in yield, disease resistance, product quality, shelf life, and nutritional factors. One example of a break-through vegetable technology achieved by Avanos Seeds is that of Covo Rugare GOLD Plus – the first-ever hybrid African Kale developed in Africa, revolutionizing the production of southern Africa’s most important daily vegetable. Read more about Covo and other innovations under Our Products section.

The varieties derived from Avanos’ breeding program are easily among the best-selling products within the company product range, recognized by Zimbabwean farmers as excelling over traditional commodity products.

Business Goals and Objectives

Avanos Seeds aims at being a consistent and reliable supplier of highest quality vegetable seed, and as such to be a trusted partner in business to the Zimbabwean farmer and the ensuing supply chain within the vegetable industry of Zimbabwe.

Avanos Seeds aims at continuously upgrading our product range through applied research and development, taking farmer and consumer needs as our primary lead in establishing product development goals.

Avanos Seeds aims at producing its seed locally in as much as possible, keeping quality management in-house and over time reducing Zimbabwe’s national reliance on seed imports. The company is gradually expanding its export market to the immediate region.

Avanos Seeds takes pride in holding up high quality standards, in terms of physical and genetic product quality as well as maintaining good relationships with its distributors and end clients of its products.

Avanos Seeds intends to be the seed supplier of choice to farmers who take their farming business seriously.

Services

Avanos provides its clients with technical and agronomic support regarding its products and general information on vegetable growing. After-sales support is an important aspect of our relationship with clients, and farmers are welcome to discuss any aspect of their crops with the company’s representatives.

Avanos continuously organizes demonstration fields and farmer field days across the country, in order to demonstrate its products and provide farmers with personalized service and detailed technical in-field information. Our team of agronomists and mobile sales personnel constantly interact with farmers on their own turf, in support of their production process.

Quality Policies

Supply of seed of consistent quality is of utmost importance in establishing a lasting partnership with clients, and the company therefore adheres to a three-pronged quality policy.

Seed must have:

  • high genetic quality (representing the true characteristics of the variety)
  • high physical quality (minimum 85% germination, disease free, free of contamination, etc.)
  • consistent supply, i.e. be available in sufficient quantity when and where farmers require it

Avanos Enterprises (Pvt.) Ltd • 52 Alpes Road, Vainona, Harare, Zimbabwe • Telephone: +263-24-2884707 / 2885100 • Cellphone: +263 77 257 2634 • Email: seeds@avanosseeds.co.zw