18 GERMINATION.CA MARCH 2019 have as a seed production system is effective for facilitating hybrid wheat to come into the Canadian marketplace,” he says. “Our time- line is still the mid-2020s for launching that technology. I’ve visited trials and seen actual hybrids in the field. It’s very impressive.” Through acquisitions like Latin America’s Nidera Seeds, Syngenta is also expanding its product pipeline. Trevor Heck, president of Syngenta Canada, credits moves like the Nidera purchase to the acquisition of Syngenta by ChemChina, something he feels has given Syngenta a renewed enthusiasm for growth. “We’ve committed to growth of our seeds portfolio. Under the old public trading model, we went through a period where we focused more singularly on growth from within. We now have more momentum to go out and do things,” Heck says. But that can be easier said than done. Corteva Agriscience, itself a brand-new com- pany formed as a spinoff organization after the merger of Dow and DuPont, has subse- quently launched the Brevant seeds brand which was unveiled in Canada in 2018. “Introducing a new seed brand and launching a new company at the same time has been an adventure,” says Brad Orr, mar- keting leader for Corteva Agriscience. “Being part of a team responsible for building a new company that is focused on bringing an accelerated pace of agricultural innovation for the future is extremely excit- ing and rewarding. We spend every moment thinking about how to enhance the lives of farmers and consumers and their future generations.” The key to realizing this “lofty ambi- tion”, he says, is to establish relationships with strategic partners and leverage Corteva Agriscience’s brands, which also includes the Pioneer brand in addition to Brevant seeds. “We strive for honesty and fairness in all that we do, building authentic relationships throughout the food system, and practic- ing responsible and sustainable agriculture. From producers to consumers, we work with others to play our part in advancing agriculture as an essential industry that fuels human potential.” lenging global trade and economic climate. “One question I get asked a lot is what is it like to now be owned by a Chinese entity. My first reaction is, ‘There’s not much I can tell you, it’s the same com- pany it was before.’ Same values, same culture. The main thing that’s changed is we simply went from having a lot of investors to just one investor,” says Rowe, who moved over to Syngenta in 2016 after serving with DuPont Pioneer for over two decades. “In a down cycle like the ag industry is going through right now, to be owned by a totally private entity with a long-term view is an advantage. There is a lot of stability there. I’m not aware of a single ChemChina employee who has joined Syngenta. That’s wouldn’t be a bad thing by any means. My point is that we have in no way been ‘taken over’ by ChemChina, other than being purchased by them. One thing that has indeed changed is we now have an even deeper commitment to grow our seed business, which is wonderful.” Product Pipeline While Syngenta’s product pipeline hasn’t changed as a result of the ChemChina acquisition, Bayer, BASF and the new Corteva Agriscience are all learning to navigate altered product portfolios. For BASF’s Collins, taking over Bayer’s hybrid wheat research is particularly exciting. “The hybrid wheat production system has been the biggest challenge in hybrid wheat commercialization. We’re confident what we Brad Orr is marketing leader for Corteva Agriscience. Trevor Heck, president of Syngenta Canada. Jeff Rowe serves as Syngenta’s president, Global Seeds North America and China. “INADOWNCYCLELIKETHEAG INDUSTRYISGOINGTHROUGHRIGHT NOW,TOBEOWNEDBYATOTALLY PRIVATEENTITYWITHALONG-TERM VIEWISANADVANTAGE.” –JeffRowe