MAY Seed, Turkey's leading cotton seed breeder and producer, has successfully protected its MAY558 cotton variety, developed and produced in Turkey, in the United States. The non-GMO variety, which has been introduced to the U.S. market, is known for its superior fiber quality and high yield potential. As of June 2024, the breeder's rights for MAY558 are officially protected.

Since 2008, MAY Seed has been conducting cotton breeding activities, focusing on developing varieties that can add value to the cotton seed sector by meeting the needs and expectations of farmers, ginning facilities, and textile professionals. Through its R&D activities, the company has introduced non-GMO cotton varieties with high adaptability, tolerance to drought and harsh production conditions, resistance to diseases and pests, high yield potential, and superior fiber quality.

“MAY558 has gained the appreciation of American cotton producers due to its performance in the regions where it's planted.”

"MAY558 variety, with its high adaptability, disease resistance, and tolerance to stress factors such as drought, has performed exceptionally well. It has been well-received by producers due to its high yield and superior fiber quality at harvest," said Hamdi Çiftçiler, Co-Chairman of the Board at MAY Seed, providing detailed information about cotton varieties and export activities. "Our cotton breeding efforts started in 2008, and the results have been very promising in a short time. Our non-GMO cotton varieties, after achieving success in the Turkish market, are now standing out in the EU countries and the U.S. for their field performance and fiber quality. MAY558 variety, which we've been selling in the U.S. non-GMO market for two years, has gained the appreciation of American cotton producers due to its performance in the regions where it's planted. In this process, we have completed the necessary steps to protect the breeder's rights for our new variety, and MAY558 is now protected in the U.S."

Çiftçiler also mentioned that, with over 200 registered seed varieties in the fields of hybrid corn, hybrid sunflower, cotton, sweet corn, and beans, the qualified seed varieties developed in Türkiye have attracted attention in global markets. As a result, the company's export figures continue to increase day by day.