Dutch researcher East-West Seed Group plans to open a Bt60m (US$1.7m) R&D facility in Chiang Mai, Thailand, spurred on by rapid growth in Asian agriculture.

The facility will aim to analyse plant diseases and design hybrid seeds for the Asian market, particularly India.

It will be Asia’s largest seed research and development centre, and the opening of the facility will see the debut of one of the company's latest products, avirus-resistant hybrid tomato called the Seeda.

East-West's seeds are already sold in Thailand under theRed Arrow trademark, reported The Nation.