Gro Alliance announces the launch of Breeder Direct, a new entity that offers unique seed corn hybrids focused on providing new margin opportunities for independent seed companies.
Corn commodity prices have fallen more than 50% since 2013, yet the cost to access hybrids has continued to increase. This dynamic means there is almost no margin for seed companies that sell to farmers with less than perfect fields. These “Lower 50%” acres need hybrids with good agronomics, but at a price point that reflects the limited revenue potential.
“The Lower 50% concept isn’t about trying to compete with elite hybrids on the best ground. Breeder Direct’s mission is to find, test, evaluate and make available hybrids that can meet a farmer’s need on tough ground at a price point where the seed company and farmer have better margin opportunity,” says Jim Schweigert, president of Gro Alliance, the parent company of Breeder Direct.
Breeder Direct is testing nearly 100 hybrids across 17 states in 2020 and many hybrids have multiple years of data from the breeders’ past efforts. Select hybrids were grown in 2020 to enable immediate availability for 2021 planting.
“The Lower 50% concept allows us to look at the seed industry from a slightly different angle. We are taking very good hybrids, often overlooked in the past, and are targeting a market that has been largely ignored,” says Marc Neuman, director of sales and product development for Breeder Direct. “Breeder Direct is giving these hybrids new life by targeting them for acres with less yield potential. Almost every farmer has some acres that fall into the Lower 50% acre category and our goal is to be intentional with product testing, evaluation and advancement specifically for those acres.”
Breeder Direct creates win-win-win opportunities for breeders, seed companies and farmers by providing a path to market for agronomically sound germplasm selected with one idea in mind, every acre deserves to be profitable.
Visit www.breederdirectllc.com to learn more.
