MINNETONKA, Minn., USA - August 29, 2017 – Growers who purchase corn and soybean seeds from retailers will have even more choice and greater value through the reinvigorated NK
® seeds brand. Syngenta today announced a comprehensive long-term commitment to NK seeds that includes boosting research and development, expanding staff and enhancing retailer support.
As part of the investment, the number of U.S. plant breeders will increase by 50 percent while the number of product selection leads will increase by 38 percent. In addition, trialing will increase by 30 percent.
“More than ever, today’s growers are looking for increased options to maximize returns. We are committed to investing in our NK seeds brand to deliver unique choice and greater value through our retail partners,” said David Hollinrake, president of Syngenta Seeds. “We will rapidly bring to market new hybrids and varieties, offering greater value for growers to help them achieve that better ROI.”
A boost in R&DThe new investment builds on a legacy of science-driven advancements for NK.
Innovations like high-speed trait conversion – executed at the state-of-the-art Syngenta Advanced Crop Lab in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina – have helped produce fully-traited NK seeds at a much quicker pace, with hybrids and varieties now coming to market an average of two years faster than before. This is the direct result of the $1.3 billion that Syngenta already spends each year on global research and development. And now, the company is committing to a significant incremental investment specific to U.S. seeds over the next five years.
“We expect to develop and deliver game-changing innovations that will keep improving growers’ performance – innovations like NK hybrids featuring
Agrisure Duracade® 5222 E-Z Refuge
® that offer the ultimate trait stack for premium insect control, choice and simplicity,” Hollinrake said.
Dedicated support in the field
On top of a boost to research and development, retailers will see an expansion of dedicated NK staff. Within the next year, Syngenta will more than triple the NK sales and agronomy teams, adding a dedicated team of NK agronomists and introducing intensified training opportunities – delivering more personalized support to both growers and retailers.
“We are committed to building a strong retail seed brand with NK,” Quinn Showalter, head of NK sales. “By increasing our investment not only in research and development, but also in our people, we’re able to provide greater local support and enable our retailers to better serve their growers’ needs and deliver greater value.”
For more information, visit
www.NK-US.com. Join the conversation online – connect with us at
social.SyngentaUS.com.
About NKNK offers growers a science-driven boost to their seed portfolios. Our researchers tap into “big data” to drive innovation that helps growers spread risk and maximize whole crop return. Plant the seeds of change to see the difference that innovation can make.
About SyngentaSyngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit
www.syngenta.com and
www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on X at
www.twitter.com/Syngenta and
www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.
Media Contacts:Bev Larson
612-656-8122
bev.larson@syngenta.com
Cristof Traudes
312-648-6700
ctraudes@gscommunications.com
Web Resources:
NK Corn
NK Soybeans
Agrisure Duracade
Syngenta Newsroom
Know More, Grow More
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as ‘expect’, ‘would’, ‘will’, ‘potential’, ‘plans’, ‘prospects’, ‘estimated’, ‘aiming’, ‘on track’ and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. We refer you to Syngenta's publicly available filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks and uncertainties. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors. This document does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer, to purchase or subscribe for any ordinary shares in Syngenta AG, or Syngenta ADSs, nor shall it form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract there for.
©2017 Syngenta, 11055 Wayzata Boulevard, Minnetonka, MN 55305. Consult bag tags for E-Z Refuge product herbicide options. Only those labeled EZ1 may be sprayed with glufosinate ammonium based herbicides, including Liberty®. NK®, Agrisure Duracade®,
E-Z Refuge® and the Syngenta logo are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.