Kientzler Expands Stock Production Into Guatemala

Chris Beytes

German young plant breeder/producer Kientzler, which already has a production farm in Costa Rica, has purchased a second Central American location, this time in Guatemala. The new farm—formerly owned by Monsanto—is 45 hectares (108 acres) in size and will start out with 2 acres of state-of-the-art pilot greenhouses. They plan 15 acres of greenhouse total. The new location will focus on producing third-party genetics, including Suntory, Sakata, PlantHaven and Concept Plants.

The new farm in Jalapa, Guatemala, will be called Innovaplant de Guatemala S.A. (Innovaplant is Kientzler’s young plant production division). They’re currently working on new construction and facility upgrades to assure the production standards for which Kientzler is known. Pilot production will start this fall, with commercial production starting in the fall of 2026.

Byron Calderon will be general manager of the Innovaplant de Guatemala facility. He has a lot of experience in similar roles, as he held a similar position while at Ecke de Guatemala facility in the past.  

Kientzler has been in Central America for 31 years, having established Innovaplant de Costa Rica in Sarchi, Costa Rica, in 1994. GT