New chairman Rainer Frank is planning a sustainable seed revolution in Carinthia!

New chairman Rainer Frank is planning a sustainable seed revolution in Carinthia!

A new era in the Austrian seed industry has begun: Rainer Frank from Maria Saal was elected as the new chairman of Saatgut Austria. Equipped with ambitious plans, he will lead the organization's fortunes over the next three years. The Kärntner Saatbau Cooperative, whose management Frank has been working since 2002, has a long tradition in seed production and breeding for agriculture. Small newspaper reports that Frank already has clear ideas about how he wants to lead the organization into the future.

In his new role, Frank particularly emphasizes the importance of breeding climate-friendly plants. These plants are intended to adapt to changing climatic conditions and offer an answer to climate change. The Kärntner Saatbau Cooperative aims to take a leading role in the development of these varieties, which require less water and are more resistant to extreme weather conditions. An important project in this context is KLIMAFIT 2, which started in 2021 and is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and the federal states. The Ministry of Agriculture informs about the goals of the initiative, which includes, among other things, the promotion of climate-friendly varieties for local farmers.

A strong team for the seed industry

Saatgut Austria is supported by a competent team under Rainer Frank. In addition to him as chairman, Johann Birschitzky (Saatzucht Donau), Florian Mayer (RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria) and Antonio Foramitti (HESA Saaten) were elected as deputies. However, the long-time chairman Michael Gohn, who resigned after 15 years for reasons of age, remains on the board as an active member. In addition, an extensive list of board members shows that the interests of 25 companies and numerous institutions in the seed industry are represented. Saatgut Austria has developed into a strong network, which plays an important role for the industry.

Rainer Frank emphasizes that securing leadership in plant breeding and seed management is a top priority. Breeding new types of grain under organic conditions takes a lot of time - between 10 to 15 years are often necessary to develop marketable products. Close contact with other European plant breeders is of great importance in order to share best practices and continually improve the quality of domestic varieties.

Climate fit for the future

Important trends are already evident in the breeding work of recent years. Given the increasing challenges posed by climate change, climate-friendly varieties that meet high standards of drought and heat tolerance are in greater demand than ever. Frank and his team are actively committed to research and development, which is supported by the KLIMAFIT project. These projects are not only of great importance for agriculture, but also for ensuring a high-quality food supply for the local population.

In a time of upheaval and changes in agriculture, the commitment of Saatgut Austria under Rainer Frank is a ray of hope for the future of agricultural production in Austria. With a clear focus on sustainability and adaptation to climatic conditions, a variety of new, improved varieties are expected to conquer the fields and thus take agriculture in Austria to a new level.