Pioneer Hi-Bred Has Record-Breaking 2011
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
With the highest yielding corn hybrid in the history of Georgia among its offerings, Pioneer Hi-Bred recorded a big sales year in 2011.
"It was a record-breaking year for us and it was really driven by the performance of our products," said Rusty Harris, Pioneer Hi-Bred account manager for Georgia and Florida.
A DuPont business, Pioneer Hi-Bred was founded about 75 years ago with a focus on developing hybrid corn. According to Harris, early hybrids instantly doubled yields. That early success led to Pioneer's leadership in advanced plant genetics and agronomic services.
"We've been in the thick of it from the beginning. And the company has a deep commitment to creating corn hybrids specifically for the Southeast," Harris said.
A commitment to the Southeast
Pioneer has significant resources located in the Southeast, including a full staff of geneticists working at breeding stations in Georgia and North Carolina.
"The seed we breed for the Southeast is produced, conditioned and packaged right here," Harris said. "We're not taking a Midwest product and trying to adapt to conditions here."
According to Harris, Pioneer is ramping up its efforts on the soybean side of the business, which is located in North Carolina. The initiative includes major investments in capital improvements at the North Carolina breeding station.
"We want to have a broad spectrum of soybean products to fit each type of acreage including dry, semi-irrigated, irrigated and all soil types," Harris said.
"Farmers can expect to see the first of these products in 2014. We'll bring a select number to market and then I would expect to see an exponential growth curve after that."
A history of field support
Pioneer is focused solely on corn, soybeans and grains. That focus enables the company to provide a high level of service to its customers.
"We have four people serving Georgia – an agronomist, an account manager and two sales consultants – and two serving Florida. We are only a phone call away," Harris said.
According to Harris who is an ex-county agent for the University of Georgia, he works with farmers to help diagnose and address a variety of issues.
"We get a history of the field, talk to the seed dealer and start peeling the onion so to speak. We'll try to diagnose whether the issue is related to the seed or possibly some other adverse growing conditions such as a bug or herbicide," Harris explained.
In Florida, Harris and an agronomist work with typically large producers, such as a major dairy operation, on improving their performance. The area offers issues specific to its unique soil and weather conditions.
"We want our farmers to be successful and that seems to resonate with farmers in this area. More than 80 percent of farmers in my sales territory use Pioneer hybrids," Harris said.
More information on Pioneer Hi-Bred is available at www.pioneer.com.
Comments