LIPETSK, Russia, September 7, 2012 – DuPont Pioneer reaffirms its commitment to research in Russia by celebrating today the official opening of its now fully operational multi-crop research center in Lipetsk, southwest Russia. The investment in the Pioneer multi-crop Lipetsk research center signifies the company’s commitment to developing and testing high-quality hybrid maize, sunflower and oilseed rape products for farmers in Russia and the surrounding region, to increase their productivity and meet the growing customer demand.
“Pioneer has one of the most productive, genetically diverse private germplasm collections in the world. This new research center, connected with a network of more than 110 research centers globally, will leverage the Pioneer elite germplasm and native traits from our global network with local discovery and hybrid development to deliver the right products for our customers in the region,” said John Soper, vice president – DuPont Pioneer Crop Genetics Research and Development.
“Pioneer has been selling high quality, high yielding maize and sunflower hybrids to Russian farmers for more than 20 years. Russia is a key market as Pioneer’s sales grow across Europe as a whole,” said Csaba Molnar, DuPont Pioneer Commercial Unit director, Russia and Ukraine. “We are investing for growth in Russia, which is aligned with the Russian government’s goal for increased grain production and export. This research centre is a natural next step to build on these opportunities and ensure our customers in Russia and the wider region continue to plant the best products available and advance sustainable agriculture,” continued Molnar.
Pioneer is committed to continuing and building upon the excellent research collaborations in place in Russia with public institutes, as well as bolstering internal research capacity.
“Robust local product development efforts are a key part of our commitment to help farmers get the right product on the right hectare, to maximize their productivity and profitability,” added John Soper.
The Lipetsk centre extends the Pioneer testing network in Eastern Europe for improved local characterization of new maize, sunflower and oilseed rape hybrids leveraging Pioneer’s global research network.
The Lipetsk research centre currently employs eight fulltime employees and additional seasonal staff from the surrounding area. In cooperation with Pioneer research centres in the region and worldwide, this centre will focus on expanding our trialing network and product development for early maturity maize, sunflower and oilseed rape products targeting key growers’ needs such as high yield stability and specifically high oil content for sunflower products.
For more information visit our website: www.pioneer.com/russia
