Sakata Seed Southern Africa’s Farmers’ Days returned in a big way this year, welcoming over 900 visitors from across South Africa, the SADC region and East Africa. Over four impactful days, growers, distributors, seedling nurseries, retailers, processors, students, and government representatives joined us to engage, learn and experience the latest in Sakata genetics and market‑driven solutions.
New standout varieties include:
- Cabbage
Obelix* F1 hybrid cabbage is a new winter cabbage that stood out for its exceptional uniformity, sizing and cold‑season performance. This variety is designed to help growers achieve large, market‑ready heads when temperatures drop. - Butternut
Sakata showcased three promising new F1 hybrid butternuts designed to meet key seasonal and retail demands. SQB2232* delivers larger fruit even in winter and offers excellent internal quality, SQB2325* provides strong uniformity and reliability for the fresh market through cold seasons, and SQB23126* produces smaller, retailer‑preferred fruit ideal for the prepack segment. (Commercial launches coming soon.) - Tomato
Sakata introduced several exciting new tomato varieties bred for vigour, fruit quality and resistance to key diseases such as Fusarium race 3, TSWV, TYLCV and Tomato Curly Stunt. The new hybrids include Emma* F1 hybrid, an indeterminate round salad tomato with excellent shelf life and strong disease resistance, Da Vinci* F1 hybrid, a reliable saladette tomato with uniform fruit and blossom‑end‑rot tolerance, and two high‑flavour novelty types – Chane* F1 hybrid (pink cherry) and Murastar* F1 hybrid (purple mini plum). - Peppers
Our new pepper introductions offer growers both heat and versatility, starting with Chaak* F1 hyrbid (orange Habanero) and Azaka* F1 hybrid (red Habanero), a complementary pair delivering high pungency, uniform fruit and strong plant vigour. For sweet pepper growers, Shogun* F1 hybrid stood out with its dark green blocky fruit, excellent canopy, strong yield potential and resistance to Tobamo viruses and Bacterial Leaf Spot. Together, these hybrids strengthen Sakata’s offering across hot and sweet pepper markets. - Root Crops
Orange Diamond F1 hybrid (carrot) and Denali F1 hyrbid (beetroot) showcased uniformity, processing efficiency and strong field performance, meeting the needs of seedling growers, processors and retailers alike. - Lettuce
Meridian, Penetrate and Trixie earned attention for reliability, uniformity and robust disease‑resistance packages, supporting consistent supply in demanding seasons. - Professional Turf and Grasses
We introduced MayFord Grasses, our new professional turf and indigenous grass portfolio, and showcased well know products such as LM Berea, All Seasons Evergreen®, Kikuyu, Shade-Over® and Sultan, alongside Biomosome™ veld reclamation mixes for landscaping, rehabilitation and conservation applications. - Ornamentals
A vibrant display of SunPatiens, Beauticals, sunflowers and marigold cut flowers highlighted the beauty and breadth of Sakata genetics beyond the field.Â
This year’s event experience went a level up:
- A chef on site created daily canapés, proving how delicious and versatile our vegetable varieties can be, earning glowing feedback from attendees.
- A coffee barista station (with morning rusks) became a favourite.
- We also treated visitors to delicious ice cream throughout the event.
- New refrigerated display fridges brought a retail feel, complementing crates of produce that don’t require refrigeration, perfectly aligning with buyer expectations.
 A significant highlight of the week was hosting MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, accompanied by her delegation from the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Guided by Susan Allen, Managing Director or Sakata Seed Southern Africa, the MEC toured our facility, engaging in valuable discussions about innovation, operational challenges and future collaboration.
 A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the success of Farmers’ Days 2026. We are grateful to our growers, partners, visitors from across Africa and our dedicated Sakata team for helping shape another unforgettable Farmers’ Days.
