Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 4438 BUSINESS NEWS DLF Seeds acquires France-based plant breeding and commercial alfalfa seed business Maison Florimond Desprez. DLF takes possession of the alfalfa germplasm and varieties, seed stock and commercial agreements related to Florimond Desprez’s alfalfa business. Designated staff involved in the alfalfa breeding program remain employees of Florimond Desprez. The parties have signed a long-term service agreement to carry forward all ongoing alfalfa breeding programs and projects to be conducted by Florimond Desprez for DLF. On June 10, Bayer opened its new wheat breeding station in Pike Lake, Sask. — part of the company’s $24 million investment into Canadian wheat breeding and a larger 10- year investment of $1.9 billion into global wheat breeding technologies. The facility includes an analytical lab, pathology research space and quality laboratory with space for an off-site greenhouse. The Bayer wheat breeding station will focus on the creation of new Canadian Prairie Spring and Canadian Western Red Spring wheat hybrids that will be commercially available to Canadian growers within the next six to eight years. Sask Wheat and SeCan have entered into a partnership whereby the two organizations will invest up to $3.5 million over 10 years in the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC) durum breeding program. Durum is a spring wheat that poses production and end-use quality challenges. The breeding of durum varieties with resistance to common pests and diseases, notably Fusarium head blight, has been slow because of the genetic complexity of the trait. Through its program for Canada Western Amber Durum, the CDC will use the investment to further and enhance previous research and development activities. BrettYoung Seeds Limited completed its acquisition of Plant Science Inc. of Gormley, Ont. The combination of Plant Science’s innovation-driven fertilizer and control products business with BrettYoung represents another step in BrettYoung’s plan to bring its customer-centered, solutions- based model to Ontario golf, turf and reclamation markets. Bayer confirms its executives recently met with executives of Monsanto to privately discuss a negotiated acquisition of Monsanto Company. Seed 2 Growth Ventures, a Chicago-based company, has led an investment in Vancouver-based Terramera Inc. Both companies are aligned in their focus to support sustainable agriculture while increasing farm yields. Other key investors in the financing include ACA Investments (affiliate of Sumitomo Corporation), Bold Capital Partners, Renewal Funds and Maumee Ventures. Monsanto Canada’s strong commitment to diversity and inclusion has netted the company a spot on Mediacorp’s list of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2016. The list recognizes employers across Canada that have exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs. PEOPLE NEWS Betty Girard resigned as executive director of the Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada. As such, CSAAC seeks a new executive director. This position is suited for someone who has knowledge the seed industry and seed testing technologies. For more information, visit seedanalysts.ca or email csaacexecutivedirector@gmail.com. Grain Farmers of Ontario and SGS Canada Inc. announce that Paolo Santangelo has joined the Ontario Grains Lab as commercial manager — cereal. Santangelo will lead the Ontario Grains Lab in its development as a leading analytical testing facility in Canada. Canada’s leadership in international plant protection receives recognition with the election of Marie-Claude Forest — a leading expert on international phytosanitary standards at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency — to the Bureau of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM). The CPM is the governing body of the International Plant Protection Convention. The seven- member bureau provides guidance to the CPM on the strategic direction, financial and operational management of its activities. Syngenta names J. Erik Fyrwald as new CEO. He is currently president and CEO of the U.S. chemistry distribution company Univar Inc. He succeeds John Ramsay who has been interim CEO since November 2015. Fyrwald spent 27 years at DuPont where he held positions of increasing responsibility in technology, manufacturing, sales and marketing, strategic planning and regional and global business unit leadership, including four years in Asia. He serves on the boards of Eli Lilly and Company and the Society of Chemical Industry. The Western Grains Research Foundation welcomed five new directors at its annual meeting in Winnipeg: Graeme Manness of Domain, Man.; Glenn Tait of North Battleford, Sask.; Robert Misko of Roblin, Man.; Terry Young of Lacombe, Alta.; and Corey Loessin of Radisson, Sask. The International Seed Federation voted in a new president, Jean-Christophe Gouache of Limagrain. Gouache will serve a two-year term as president. In this role, he is responsible for implementing the ISF 2020 plan, which focuses on innovation, the movement of seed, intellectual property rights, biodiversity and engagement.