Syngenta and Gavilon Report Strong Acceptance of Agrisure Duracade Corn
Since launching the “Right to Grow” program for its Agrisure Duracade corn, also known as MIR162, early last year, Syngenta and Gavilon Grain LLC have announced that the number of locations that will accept the corn has climbed from 672 to 1,652 over the past seven months.
Agrisure Duracade is Syngenta’s genetically modified corn variety that resists corn rootworm using a two-trait stack option that fights the pest both below and above ground. The strain was lately at the center of an industry shake-up when it was released on the market for planting in the U.S. prior to receiving approval from Chinese regulators for import, causing China to refuse shipments containing the strain. The refusals led to the filing of class action lawsuits against Syngenta by traders, handlers and farmers because of lost income.
China has since approved the strain for import, and Syngenta is renewing its focus on marketing the variety. In 2015, under the “Right to Grow” program, farmers can receive a per-unit premium at harvest for each bag of Agrisure Duracade planted, and receive consultation services from Gavilon that would assist farmers in marketing their Agrisure corn though a network of accepting locations, and connect farmers with elevators, feedlots, mills and other buyers.