Developed from principally a vegetable seed trading business to a an integrated seed business incorporating seed production, processing, trading and retailing.
First seed company in Africa to achieve ISO9002 Certification.
In the late 80’s/early 90’s NTS was the largest supplier of open pollinated seeds, principally maize seed, to the region, supplying mainly NGO’s for emergency relief.
In 2000, merged with Impala Seeds, a sister company who operated as a agri-input retailer and expanded the branch network to 10 stores located throughout Zimbabwe under the banner of National Tested Seeds.
In 2003, was the first company to register OPV maize seed varieties in Zimbabwe.
In 2003, having lost its production farms through the Land Reform Program, developed a ‘franchise concept’ to expand its retail network to agents, developing a network of approx. 50 agents, distributing through a central distribution center as well as through its stores.
In March 2009, Zimbabwe stopped using its local currency to become principally a USD economy. Businesses required re-capitalization with limited USD liquidity in the market.
In 2010, NTS was the recipient of a grant amounting to $600,000 which is being used to promote small scale seed production and the purchase of a mobile seed cleaning unit to undertake on farm processing. The grant was won through the African Enterprise Challenge Fund, an AGRA initiative where companies apply to a competition to win the funds based on a sustainable business model that has a high developmental impact.
In 2014, rebranded its retail division to Farm Shop and expanded its branch network to 15 stores countrywide.
In 2015, re-established a formalised Agency Network which will use the Farm Shop and NTS banners, and where rural agrodealers will source a selection of agricultural inputs from Farm Shop, using the local Farm Shop Branch as a hub.
In 2015, Farm Shop further expanded its national footprint by opening additional stores, to total 20, which to a larger extent means that Farm Shop now services the entire country.
In 2016, NTS released its first two maize hybrids into the Zimbabwean Market
In 2017, Farmshop started to import various hardware lines directly from China to augment it’s GoFarm brand
By 2019 had developed it’s store network of 27 stores which effectively gave FarmShop a national footprint.